Darkness Part One
by roguefire28
Summary: Sarah comes back to Sam after the car crash but things have changed. Who is driving the Mustang SS? Who's the girl in the backseat of the Impala? Who is the mysterious stranger who appears at the crash site?


**Dear Readers, **

**Darkness is a collaborative novel with another JAF fanfiction writer by the name of AngelofMusic. This story takes place right after the Season Finale of Supernatural. The events of Frozen, Heat and Intensity took place a few months before the events in Dead Man's Blood. AngelofMusic's story Wild Angel (posted at **** takes place right after Intensity and during the last three episodes. The characters of Emily and Tristan belong solely to her. I do not own them. For those of you who haven't read Wild Angel, the story is about a young girl who was brutally abused by her father for years then put to sleep with drugs until she was a woman. Dean and Sam found her and took her to Pastor Jim for her safety. AngelofMusic slid Emily into the last three episodes by rewriting them with her in them. She was there when Meg killed Pastor Jim and she was there during the car crash in this fanfic. The young man, Tristan, gave Emily a ride from where she was walking on the highway to Salvation, Iowa to find Dean and Sam an d then left her only to reappear mysteriously in this novel. If you would like the full story please go to ****http/ I really hope you like this story as much as the other ones. We've worked hard on it. This is only part one of Darkness. I will post part two when we finish it. Thank you. –Roguefire28**

**Part One**

**1**

Sarah's 2003 flame red firebird roared down the empty highway at a speed that threatened to break the sound barrier. She cared little for highway patrols; if they attempted to pull her over she wouldn't hesitate to start a high speed chase that would make the news. Sarah had taken her car to a specialist in the underground market and had her engine worked on, the governor removed, and every other trick in the book that made her car as fast and aerodynamic as possible. Already she was reaching 150 mph and climbing.

Three months ago she had retreated to her family's log cabin in the mountains to get away from the world in which she lived. Her sister had died at the hands of a demon, just like all the rest of her family, and in order to deal she had to run away. She had spent the months alone, living out her life in solitude and contemplating her life decisions. At long last she had come to terms with what had happened. Sam had proposed to her, her sister had died, and the boys had gone off on another hunt after the demon that killed their mother. The last phone call she had received from Sam had been three days ago and she hadn't heard a word since.

Then the vision had come. She had seen a semi-truck smash into the passenger side of the Impala in the middle of the night. Following the road signs she had seen in her vision she had immediately left to find the highway that would potentially take her lover's life. She had already lost everything in the world that had meant anything to her and she wasn't going to lose her fiancé. She floored the gas all the way down to the floorboard and thought back on Alex.

Two months ago the doctor from the hospital that had proclaimed Alex dead had called to say that her body had never been recovered. The doctor had reason to believe that she had accidentally been cremated due to a slip up in the computer records. Sarah had resigned herself to the fact that she would never be able to bury Alex next to the rest of her family and had instead just had a tombstone placed in the family plot bearing her name and an epitaph that read "An angel among demons and a hero among men".

Sarah struggled with the pain that still resided in her heart and drove onward before spotting a set of headlights shining into the road in the distance. They were stationary and Sarah began to slow the car down to a more acceptable stopping speed. Her breath caught in her throat as she came upon the scene her vision had forewarned her about. She slammed her foot down on the brake and the car reacted by swinging around to face the accident scene, her headlights illuminating what enfolded before her. She jumped out of the car as a second set of headlights appeared coming over the hill at a break neck speed as well. Sarah turned her attention back to the Impala and its four passengers. The semi truck's front end was lodged into the passenger side of the Impala and there was no hope of getting it out herself. Smoke plumed from the engine into the night sky and the radio in the semi truck blared loudly a horrendously happy song. Sarah made out Dean's face pressed against the glass and saw the blood that stained the window where his head touched. Sam was unconscious in the driver's seat and his father next to him, both bloodied and cut from the accident.

Sarah turned sharply as an engine louder than her own roared to a stop and a figure stepped out of a black with white racing stripes 2003 Mustang SS. The glare of all of the headlights prevented her from making out the driver but whoever it was walked with confidence as they approached Sarah.

Sarah's breath caught sharply and for a moment she forgot to breathe as the figure was revealed.

"Alex?" she whispered.

Her sister was among the living for whatever reasons that Sarah didn't even begin to guess at. Alex was dressed from head to toe in black leather and her boots sported three inch heels that made her look taller and more imposing. There was a new scar that cut through the middle of her left eyebrow and her eyes were the customary onyx black that signified her demonic half was in charge. The scar from the gunshot wound was faint but noticeable on her abdomen where the flesh was revealed by the corset-like black leather top she was wearing. On her hands were bicycling gloves, the kind that were cut off at the fingers, and her hair was braided back away from her face with black and red leather strips braided through the hair.

**Emily slowly began to hear the muffled sound of a car radio. The sounds came back into focus. The young girl tried to move but found it too difficult. Her head throbbed and she couldn't move her legs. It took a while but with enough effort Emily managed to open her eyes. She turned her head to the side and saw Dean on the seat next to her. His body was beaten and bloody. It tore her heart apart to see him like that. Dean was a fighter and now Emily saw him and he was broken. She forced herself to sit up slowly, looking at the sight around her. Emily was still unable to move her legs. She looked over and saw John in the seat in front of her, his head against the window and Sam next to him. She had blood along her face from the small cut on her forehead.**

**Emily looked down at Dean once more then she noticed a light out the window. She managed to make out two figures, women. Emily watched them in silence, afraid to move. She looked in the one woman's eyes and was terrified to find them dark and cold, as the demon that might have taken her family away from her again. There was something different though. It wasn't much; just enough to not scare her the way the demon that inhabited John scared her. She didn't have that sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Still this girl seemed dark, cold. She watched the two for a moment. Emily sat against the remains of the backseat. She wished she could sit in her safe position, hugging her knees to her chest but she couldn't move her legs. Emily looked down at the floor and saw blood flowing down her legs. They were most likely broken.**

**She looked up quickly when she saw one woman point in her direction. Her heart stopped and her breath caught in her throat. She wondered if they saw her. What would they do if they did? There wasn't much Emily could do. She was too weak to do anything with her mind and she couldn't move. Emily was trapped in the car unable to get away. She wasn't worried about her safety though as she looked at the woman with onyx colored eyes. She was more worried about Dean's safety. She looked down at his lifeless form then back up at the women.**

"It can't be . . .," Sarah stammered, for a moment completely forgetting the car crash. "You're dead!"

Alex looked in her direction sharply and all Sarah saw there was the anger and darkness of a full-blooded demon. Sarah took a step backward, away from her volatile and powerful sister. Alex cocked her head and stared hard at Sarah for a moment, as if struggling with something inside herself that Sarah couldn't see. Sarah wanted to run to her and hug her but something held her back. An instinctive feeling that while her older sister was miraculously alive there was something very wrong.

"Who the hell are you?" Alex demanded.

Sarah was stunned. It was worse than she thought. Alex didn't remember anything from before the gunshot wound and it would seem that she was no longer even remotely human.

"I'm . . . .I'm your sister," Sarah stammered.

"I'm not here for you," Alex told her sharply. She pointed at the smoking Impala and Sarah belatedly realized how much precious time she had wasted. "I'm here for him."

Sarah followed her finger to where it lay pointing at Dean.

**2**

Sarah stumbled back as Alex pushed past her and over to the car. Sarah could see the slumped over form of the semi truck driver against his steering wheel but another gut instinct told her that she shouldn't go near him. Instead she hesitantly followed Alex and stood back as her sister came within inches of the totaled car. She halfway wondered what Alex was going to do and even more wondered what she was doing there at all.

Alex came up to Dean's window and reared her fist back before punching out. The glass shattered around her hand and she reached inside to gently push Dean's body away from the door. Her vision caught hold of the two men in the front seat and a flood of images assaulted her mind. Both of them were familiar to her and her memory told her that she knew them. Her mind told her that she had laughed with them once, fought beside them, cared for them and loved them. She felt as if she were looking into a distant life that she no longer lived and she couldn't quite fit all the pieces of it together. Even so her heart told her that they must be rescued as well. They could hold the key to her past that she had been seeking for the last few months.

Alex felt her eyes shift rapidly, sliding from brilliant blue to black and back again. She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head, growling under her breath. When they were blue she knew that her eyes were generous, loving, and open. When they were black she knew that they were as cold and lifeless as the bottom of the ocean. When her emotions and memories became confused her eyes shifted and she felt feelings inside her dead heart that she didn't know existed. At this very moment she felt love, deep and passionate, when she stared at the man in the backseat that had been haunting her dreams and memories.

Alex looked past him suddenly to a shift of movement in the backseat. A small girl huddled there and the moment their eyes met the girl shrank back as far as she could go. Alex took in her disheveled and fragile appearance. She studied the overly large white sundress that hung off the girl's right shoulder and the cut that decorated it, presumably from the car crash. Her face dripped blood from a small laceration on her forehead and her brown eyes stared at Alex with fear and tears mixed in them. Alex stared hard at the girl and recognized pain across her features. The girl tried to squirm away but Alex realized quickly that she couldn't.

She didn't recognize the small fragile creature in the backseat and her face elicited no memories. All the same there was something in her eyes, the pain that was evident there, the innocence that seemed to permeate everything about her, that made Alex's heart twist. Her eyes shifted again, maintaining their crystal blue color for several seconds before shifting back.

"Hold on," she said sharply. "I'll get you out."

She grabbed onto door that the now shattered window provided access to and ignored the shards of glass that sliced into her palm. The cuts on the top of her hand sewed themselves shut quickly and disappeared with no trace that they had ever been there. She jerked with all her strength and the door groaned in protest but came off the car. She picked up the door and tossed it away behind her and into the night. Alex repeated the process with the driver's side door and blood ran freely from her hands and down her arms.

"Alex," Sarah called. "Be careful. We don't know how badly hurt they are."

Alex snarled under her breath and gently placed her hand under Dean's neck and the other around his legs. She lifted carefully and brought his six foot frame to rest again her own more slender body. **From the backseat the girl reached out for him. She tried to move across the car but couldn't. With every movement of her legs pain shot through her tiny body.** She turned and walked a short distance away to place him gently on the ground.

Sarah dashed to the driver's side and stared into the backseat at a brown haired, doe eyed girl that she didn't recognize. She smiled gently, seeing the pain evident on her features.

"It's okay honey," she said quietly. "My name is Sarah. We'll get you out, I promise. You'll be okay. You're safe now. I won't let anything else happen to you."

**Emily's head turned quickly when she heard another voice. She stared at Sarah with slightly less fear. There was something about this girl that was less threatening.** She began pulling Sam out with caution as Alex returned to the backseat to extract the terribly frightened girl. **Emily remained silent. It wasn't until Alex appeared next to her in the car that she finally spoke. Emily looked back and forth between Alex and Sarah, but it was obvious she spoke to Alex. "D... De... Dean," she whispered. Her voice was soft and hoarse, much like the first time she spoke to Dean. There was a childlike quality to her voice that seemed to make it echo in the silent remains of the Impala.**

Alex hesitated at the edge of the car, her head stuck in the door and her braid falling down over her shoulder. She met the girl's eyes and for a moment she became lost in them. Her eyes shifted wildly as memories of love and laughter flooded her being. She reached out a hand and gently touched the girl's arm. She came further into the car and grabbed hold of her upper body.

**As the girl leaned closer Emily did her best to back away. She was trembling uncontrollably. With each subtle movement Emily felt a fiery pain shoot through her body.**

"I'm sorry but this is going to hurt no matter which way I do it," Alex warned her.

Alex pulled back, taking care to keep her legs as straight as humanly possible, until the girl's body was in a better position to be picked up. Alex eased her arm under the broken legs and tightened her grip to allow minimal movement. She didn't want to cause the girl anymore pain than she was already in.

"You really might want to hold your breath," Alex advised her. "I'm going to have to carry you over to Dean and your legs are broken so it's going to hurt."

**Every movement was painful for Emily. She was a strong girl though and she bit her lip and shut her eyes as tight as she could. She took sharp breaths every once in a while when the pain was too great but she wouldn't cry out or scream. She didn't know who this woman was, or what she was for that matter, but at the moment she trusted her, or at least trusted her to enough to let the woman, Alex, take her out of the car.**

She lifted gently and brought the girl's tiny frame to rest against her own. She was light as a feather, easily carried, and Alex strode across the grass to where she had laid Dean. His face was pale in the moonlight and the blood was beginning to dry across his handsome features. She felt a lurch in her stomach and the remnant of a love so deep in her heart that she took a gunshot for him. Her mind spun. She heard the sound of a gun firing echoing in her head and saw herself jump in front of Dean to take the bullet. The memory receded and she was left with confusion.

Alex reached the place where she had laid Dean and set the girl down carefully next to him. **Emily moved towards Dean, almost shielding his body from the woman. It had been dark in the car and she hadn't gotten to see Dean clearly. Now, with the light from the cars, Emily was finally able to see the damage. She stared down at Dean with the most horrified expression. Her heart ached as she saw him. All Emily could think of was that he was dead and she was left all alone. Emily leaned down and ran her hand across his face. "Don't go," she whispered to him. Then she looked up quickly when she saw a movement out of the corner of her eye. ** Sarah came up then, dragging Sam's body as she wasn't strong enough to carry it. Alex ignored Sarah and returned to the car to retrieve John Winchester. When she returned with him over her shoulder she eased him down onto the ground next to his sons and surveyed the land around them. The highway was empty of any help.

"Alex," Sarah whispered.

Alex turned her head to regard the younger woman and followed her finger to where it lay pointing over a hill. Alex made out three figures coming toward them at a steady pace. Inside the semi truck the driver was starting to get out and Alex knew immediately that they were all demons.

"They're coming to finish the job," Alex stated.

"We can't let them!" Sarah cried, falling to her knees beside Sam.

Alex popped the sore muscles in her neck and let her eyes fall on each of the car crash victims. She returned her steady gaze to the approaching figures.

"Stay with them," she commanded and she left no room for argument with her tone. She reached down to her boots and slid out two wickedly curved and serrated blades, gleaming silver in the moonlight, and perfectly matched. She flipped them around deftly in her hands until the blades were resting against her forearms and the hilts in her palms. "I'll take care of the problem."

**3**

**Emily watched the two with fear and fascination. Her focus was mostly on Alex. When Alex said they were coming to finish the job Emily let out an involuntary whimper. She looked up at Alex with tears in her eyes. Emily watched Alex take out two matching blades. She was going to fight them off, Emily could tell. She wouldn't let her, not alone. Dean took care of her, he always took care of her and she was supposed to take care of him now. She said it was her turn. Emily moved to try and stand but her legs wouldn't budge. She let out a loud cry but stifled it quickly then looked up at Alex once more. She wanted to help, more than anything she wanted to help but she couldn't move. Emily felt so helpless. All she could do was let Alex handle it.  
For all the amount that Emily didn't trust Alex, she had seen the look of love in the girl's eyes when she looked at Dean. She cared deeply for Dean and Emily could tell. Though Emily had no comprehension of what real love was. All she had for that was Dean and he was on the ground, dead to Emily's knowledge. Love was not something Emily wanted anything to do with at the moment. Her father always told her he loved her. It was all a lie. Emily loved Dean and he left her, he died. She looked up at Alex once more. Love was what fueled her, made her stronger. Emily knew there was something inside the girl, something not quite human. There was no other way she could have ripped the doors from the car or picked Dean up the way she did. There was a strength inside her that was brought forth by something, almost demonic. At the same time though Emily could almost feel that it was fueled by love. What kind of love could give strength like that?**

Alex came forward with her blades as one of the demons tried to rush past her to get at its prone targets. She held out the blade and spun as he passed, burying it to the hilt in the back of his neck. The demon stopped and began jerking and convulsing as she twisted the blade. From the other side Sarah could see the tip of the blade protruding from the demon's throat. Alex jerked the blade out and kicked the body to the ground as she turned to meet the rush of a second demon.

He barreled into her and successfully knocked her to the ground. She went down with the demon on top of her and managed to get her foot up and onto his chest before her back met the dirt. She brought her blades in a crisscrossing X at the demon's throat and quickly pulled them apart. The head severed, showering her with a spray of blood, and she kicked out sending the demon flying back fifty feet to slam into the front of the semi truck.

As Alex stood from the ground a dark haired young man bolted past her at a speed that Alex couldn't possibly attempt to catch. She turned and watched him run toward Dean and the others but something in her gut instructed her to leave him be for now. She would challenge his arrival later.

Alex wiped off some of the blood and managed only to smear it further. She shrugged and walked forward with her already bloodstained blades at the ready in her hands.

**Emily stared at Alex with fear in her eyes. She was terrified of this unstoppable force, but at the same time there was something comforting about it. She was protecting them. Emily wondered who this girl was, what her connection with Dean was. How did she know them? Dean never mentioned her. Though there was a lot about the eldest Winchester's life that he had never mentioned. Emily never claimed to know Dean very well, but he protected her. He was the first person in her life that loved her. He was her safety and now, when it mattered most she couldn't help him, but this strange girl could.  
There was something dark about the girl that frightened Emily. She looked back and forth between Alex and her opponents watching them each meet their demise at the end of her blades. Suddenly she noticed someone run to her side. She turned quickly, causing a searing pain to shoot through her right leg and the rest of her body. What she saw in front of her made her heart skip a beat. "T... Tri... Tristan," she whispered with tears in her eyes.  
The young man smiled and wiped away her tears with his thumb. He tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead. "Shhh," he whispered. It was the same comforting tone that Dean used with her back in Salvation. "Its all right now," he whispered resting his forehead against hers.  
**Sarah turned her attention from Sam to the newcomer kneeling beside the girl with the broken legs. Her heart skipped a beat and she feared she had a let a demon slip past unnoticed. She remembered her promise to keep the girl safe now and she stood up quickly. She put her hands to her temples, focusing her power at the young man. **Tristan glanced up at the younger woman. He found himself being compelled to his feet. Tristan stood and stared at her for a moment. He looked down at Emily then back at Sarah. "I'm trying to help," he called to her and glanced down at Emily. His heart ached to see her like this. He knew it shouldn't but it did. "Please, I'm trying to help," he said in an unnaturally calm voice.**

Sarah held fast to her psychic power, pinning him into place so that his feet were weighted down to the earth. He made no move to attempt to come toward her but she kept her power focused on him all the same. She stepped nearer while she did so and began scanning the surface of his emotions like a radar detector. She probed deeper, seeking out anything that would make him a threat. She found nothing and when she scanned him she was startled to feel a deep feeling of peace. She looked closer and saw the tiniest pinpricks of white light surrounding the inside of his being, as though he were a candle in the night. Her eyebrows furrowed in mild confusion.

"Who the hell are you?" she demanded.

**Tristan stood in place and watched Sarah inch closer. He kept glancing down at Emily and he smiled at her to let her know he was fine. He knew what the girl was doing and didn't want to seem to be a threat. The last thing he wanted was for her to send him flying because she thought he was a threat to Sam and Dean. She spoke again and he couldn't help but smile. There was power in her voice, a sense of command. It amused him. "My name is Tristan," he said simply. "I know Emily. Please, Sarah," he paused and locked eyes with her. She had seen into his heart, at least had a glimpse at the truth. "I am trying to help. They need to get out of here; it is too dangerous for them."**

Sarah hesitated slightly. "I know that. What the hell do you think we're trying to do? The bigger question is what are you doing here in the middle of the night on a deserted highway?"

**Tristan turned his attention to Sarah when she spoke. "That's much more complicated that I would care to explain Miss Delaney," Tristan asked. His voice showed that he was in no mood for an argument. "These boys need help now and if you don't let me go then they will die. Please, I am trying to help them." Tristan met the girl's eyes once more and studied her. "Please, trust me for now and I will tell you everything at a better time. Just trust my judgment." His voice was unusually calm and rather soothing. Tristan spoke with an unsettlingly calm voice and the only emotion in his eyes came when he looked at Emily.**

Sarah searched him harder for a moment, seeking anything that would deny his claims and again came up empty. She released her hold instantly and stared hard at him.

"You and me," she said firmly, "we're going to have a talk later. Count on that." Under her breath she muttered, "Mr. Show's Up In The Middle Of The Freaking Night. You glow like a damn candlestick!"

**"Tristan," he said as he dropped to his knees beside Emily. **Sarah looked at him, startled, as she realized that he had heard her and was correcting her informal name for him. She had to stop herself from wondering how in the hell he had managed to hear her comment. ** He smiled and picked Emily up in his arms, holding her tight. "Shh," he whispered to the trembling girl as she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. Tristan chuckled at her comment and looked down at Emily. "Thank you for trusting me Sarah." He wondered when she would notice that he knew her name. She probably had since she knew he had knowledge of her capabilities.**

Sarah turned her attention to the girl that Tristan called Emily. She appeared badly frightened and her entire body shook from fear and pain. Sarah's heart broke for the girl and all she wanted to do was run to her and take her in her arms and tell her that the world really wasn't so bad. She suppressed the urge and watched the loving way that Tristan handled her. The comfort and compassion that he imparted with just a mere touch and soft spoken word. Her eyebrow rose slightly and she felt herself even more at ease with him. She no longer thought he posed any threat at all to them but she knew that there was something supernatural about him, albeit in a good way. Her heart told him that he was on their side, for better or worse, and she needed to trust him implicitly. **  
Tristan smiled at her and looked down at the bodies that surrounded him. He looked back up at Emily and smiled. "Shhh," he whispered once more. Tristan stroked her hair gently and looked up at Alex in her fight. A small smile formed on his lips and he looked down at Dean, then back at Alex. She was better than he thought she'd be. He could feel the demon inside her, but still her heart prevailed. That was amazing to Tristan. He had never seen a human so strong in the presence of a demon.**

Alex ducked a punch that the third demon sent at her and she remained low to the ground in a perfectly balanced crouch. She kicked out with her right leg and hooked it around his knee. He was a skilled fighter though and instead of falling to the ground he jumped over her extended foot to safety. She came back up on her feet in an instant and circled him warily, searching for an opening in his defenses. He came at her with a fierce three punch combination and she blocked all of them before having to drop one of her blades to catch the extended foot that came kicking out at her face. The demon jerked his foot from her grasp and dodged backward out of her reach.

"Enough games," she snarled.

Alex launched her body into a cartwheel, her legs flying in an arc through the air although her hands never touched the ground. When she landed she was positioned behind and slightly to the right of the demon. He came at her quickly, spinning on his heels and she dodged behind him. She grabbed his neck in the crook of her arm and jerked. His neck snapped audibly and Alex swore she could hear the bones snapping all the way down his back in the near-still night. She caught Sarah's eye as the younger woman turned at the gruesome sound. Alex shrugged and dropped the body to the ground without a second thought.

**Tristan's head turned quickly at the sound of breaking bones. He stared at the girl in amazement. She would need more help than he originally thought. Tristan glanced down at Dean's all but lifeless body. He would be strong enough to give her the help she needed. Then Tristan looked down at Emily. She stared at Alex in terror and tears streamed down her face. "Shh," he whispered looking down at Emily as she turned to meet his eyes. "Don't worry. She's on our side."**

Alex turned and spotted the demonically possessed truck driver running off into the night, most likely to the safety of whoever his benefactor was. She considered giving chase and putting him out of his misery but something in her heart stopped her. He was a human, trapped in his own body. She couldn't kill a human being. She stopped suddenly, standing as if frozen to the ground beneath her feet. All she heard was her own heart beating quietly in her ears. But she had killed . . . .those months where her own identity was a mystery to her she had killed plenty. Demons and humans alike. Anything that had stood in her way she had taken out of existence. She stared at her hands and swore that they were stained with more blood than she actually had on them. Her heart trip hammered and for a moment she felt like she was going to be sick. A single tear found its way down her face and she swiped at the foreign object, not understanding the cause of it. Her heart hardened again and the memory of the innocent lives she had taken faded back into the recesses of her mind.

Alex turned around and faced the group of people she had pulled from the broken Impala. In their midst was the brown haired young man that had escaped past her earlier. She started forward toward the group, where the woman that called herself her sister seemed to be having a confrontation with him. He wasn't going to escape a second time.

**4**

Alex sheathed her blades without cleaning the blood from them and walked up to the group on the ground with all the confidence of a panther in its natural habitat. Her every movement was fluid and graceful at the same time they were threatening and intimidating. In the months that she had survived on her own, killed things ten times stronger than herself, she had learned to become one with every muscle in her body. Her body was a tool that her mind used as a conduit for its power.

She stopped short of the brown haired man where he sat on the ground holding the girl she had rescued from the backseat in his arms. He set the girl down gently, though quickly, and stood up slowly to face her. Her eyes shifted wildly as her heart warred with her soul and tried to bring back the humanity that was lost on her. Her hand shot out and wrapped around his throat in a vise like grip no mortal could hope to break. For a moment she struggled with herself and nearly pulled her arm back but her demonic half won out and her grip remained around his throat, even though her arm was shaking from the internal war within.

"You have two seconds to give me a reason not to kill you," she stated flatly. Her eyes became blacker than ever before and her arm ceased to shake.

**Tristan watched her graceful movements. It hurt him to know that such grace came from such darkness. He set Emily down on the ground and stood back up. Almost faster than he could see he found her hand tightly gripped around his neck. Tristan looked down at her, locking eyes with her. He noted the shift in color and a small smile formed on his features. Tristan looked down at her and managed using his strength to pry himself from her grip. It was difficult though. She was stronger than he thought. "If you kill me Dean will die," he answered simply.**

Alex snorted derisively, not deterred at all by the fact that he had just outmatched her strength. Her demonic half was raging inside her, begging for release, for more bloodshed. It filled her soul and threatened to consume her entire being. For a moment it raged so fiercely that her body burned, a feverish spike brought on by too much power in one body. She broke out into a sweat and her color paled severely. She stood strong as her nose began to bleed and her hands began to shake. Her fever soared higher, spiking more than a human body should be allowed to have without an ice bath, and her body struggled to remain on its feet. She felt like she was being torn apart on the inside as two halves of a soul battled each other viciously, the demon half trying to take complete control and the human half trying to regain a bit of ground. The power was too much, the blood too strong for a human body with no human soul to absorb it. She wasn't a full-blooded demon and therefore without her human soul fully intact to steal some of her demonic half's thunder than her body was going to die from the inside out. Only a full blooded demon could handle the power that went along with the title.

Alex felt as though someone were driving spikes into her head as her vision blurred and she involuntarily cried out from the pain. The sound was human, completely Alex, and as she had sudden flashbacks of who she really was her knees buckled.

**Tristan watched for a moment. He would wait for the right moment to intervene. He looked over at Sarah then back at Alex. When he saw her begin to lose footing he stepped forward and caught her body as she fell. Tristan lowered her onto the ground slowly, holding her in his arms. He brushed her hair back and ran his hand along her cheek. Her fever was much higher than he anticipated. He hadn't meant to let it go so far. "Shh, Alex," he whispered, knowing that there wasn't much left of her to hear him. Tristan closed his eyes and held her close, keeping one hand resting on her face. He felt his body chill, the cold flowing from his body to her own. This was harder than he thought. It would take more energy. Tristan looked down at her and waited. He was regenerating the bits of her broken soul to at least give her enough to fight with. Tristan used memories of her and Dean to piece back together the shattered pieces of her soul. At the same time he was mending her broken body as well. When he felt her temperature lower to that of a normal human temperature he released her and set her gently on the ground. He looked down at her and leaned over her waiting to see if she'd wake up. He worried what Sarah would think and hoped that Sarah would believe he was helping.**

Sarah ran to her sister, tears in her eyes, and fell to her knees beside her. Her heart raged with pain, fearing that she was going to lose Alex all over again. She had seen this before. Alex had had many wars with her demonic half in which her body had become a victim, but her human soul had always won out and the symptoms had always receded. She met Tristan's eyes over her sister's body and wondered what he had done to save her. She knew that it had been him, from the moment that he had caught Alex and lowered her to the ground she knew that he had done something that had saved her life. Her eyes were questioning but grateful and her tears fell freely down her face to drop onto her sister's chest.

**Tristan looked up at Sarah. His breathing was labored and his skin much more pale than before. He locked eyes with her and after a moment he smiled. "She has strength like I've never seen Sarah," he said simply. He wasn't really referring to physical strength. After a moment Tristan leaned back and turned his attention back to Emily. She looked terrified. "It's all right now Emily. Everything's going to be all right."**

Alex stirred beneath Sarah's hand and when she opened her eyes they were black again, but steady. Sarah blew out her breath; she had been hoping that Alex was back and would remember everything. It would seem that accomplishing that would be harder than she thought. Sarah felt her sister's emotions through her touch and was shocked to realize that there were none. Alex was devoid of any emotion at all. Sarah moved away quickly, motioning Tristan away as well. She came to his side and pushed him away, gripping his arm in her hand and she was startled to realize that the interaction was more to steady herself than to move him. She was overwhelmed with the knowledge that there was so little left of her sister's soul that it was almost completely demonic. She wanted to fall to her knees and cry until everything ended and she could wake up happy again. She found herself unconsciously gripping Tristan's arm tighter before looking up to meet his eyes.

"I don't know what you did," she said quickly. "I'm not even going to ask. But you have to know that it will happen again. As long as the demonic side is stronger, it will happen again and next time she might not live."

**Tristan looked at Alex and his heart broke to see her. He tried so hard to save her but it hadn't worked. He took note of Sarah pulling at him and he turned to face her. Tristan wrapped his arms around her in a comforting way. "I'll do everything in my power to get her back Sarah," he whispered. "I promise. I will die before I let you lose another sister." Tristan knew what he was doing was wrong. It had been wrong since he picked Emily up on the side of the road. He wasn't supposed to intervene like this but he couldn't just sit back and watch them die. Emily meant too much to him.**

Sarah pushed him back farther away from Alex as she rose to her feet, steady as a rock and just as solid, and lowered her voice so that only Tristan could hear. "I'm not going to pretend that I understand you. And we still have to talk later. But I know that you did something to save her life and for some reason I have this feeling that you're the only one that can do it again. Alex might not mean that much to you, but she is all I have left. So I need to know . . . I need to know . . . ," she hesitated, knowing that she was overstepping the bounds of some unseen rules with her question. "I need to know if you'll do it again. I'm asking you, because for whatever reason I trust you, to stay close. I need to know that when this happens again you'll be there to stop it."

She looked into his eyes and glanced over her shoulder to where Alex was lifting Dean into her arms with care.

**Tristan watched Alex's movements carefully but heard every word that Sarah said. He heard the pain and the plea in her voice. Then he looked over at her locking eyes with her. He couldn't say no. He knew he should, but he couldn't. How had he gotten so involved in this? Tristan averted his gaze for only a moment then looked back at her. "I promise Sarah," he said softly. "I need your help now though. You can't carry Sam, but I can. I was thinking maybe you could carry Emily. She's much lighter than any of them." Tristan turned to Emily. "Sarah's going to take care of you and I'll be with you the whole time." Then he looked back at Sarah. "Dean's lost a lot of blood, all of them have. They need to get to a hospital now."**

Sarah nodded quickly, pulling herself from her own emotional trauma, and moved to Emily's side. She stared into the younger girl's eyes for several seconds, seeking to establish a bond of some kind of trust before she lifted her into her arms.

"It's okay, Emily," she told her. "I'll make this painless I promise. I told you I'll keep you safe and I mean it."

Sarah focused her mental energy to Sarah's pain and dulled it. She concentrated before she lifted and planted the emotion in Emily's heart that she couldn't feel the pain. She didn't want her to feel her broken legs being moved around and she took all of her energy and put it into that one goal.

Emily watched the scene unfold before her. She stared at Tristan in amazement. There was something about him that was frightening but calming at the same time. Every time he looked at her all the bad things went away. She heard him speak of Sarah taking her and she nodded slowly. However, when Sarah moved closer she backed away. She looked at Sarah with terror in her eyes. She felt the girl pick her up and for a brief moment she felt the searing pain but it faded. She wrapped her arms around Sarah's neck the way she had with Tristan and rested her head on the girl's shoulder. Tristan looked over at them as he picked Sam up slowly. He looked down at John; he would have to come back for him. "Would you believe I don't have any transportation," he said with a laugh. Considering he was in the middle of nowhere on a highway without transportation, as if everything else didn't seem strange about him that just added to it.

When Sarah got Emily into her car safely and with no pain involved she turned and allowed Tristan to place Sam beside her. Dean and John went into Alex's car and she turned the engine over to pull out onto the highway. Sarah followed her with Tristan in the front seat and together they roared down the highway to the nearest hospital.

**5**

**Emily woke from her world of black, her dark nightmare with Sam and Dean's bloodied faces still burned in the back of her eyes. Emily didn't move, she couldn't open her eyes though she tried several times. She listened to her surroundings and tried to figure out where she was before she opened her eyes. She was lying on a bed, it was comfortable by her standards but her standards weren't much. There was the distinct smell of death all around her. She could hear the sounds of machines. There was a steady beeping that seemed to match her heartbeat and she felt something wrapped around her finger. Where was she, she couldn't place it. Emily had never been inside a hospital before. Finally after intense thought she managed to force her weary eyes open. She looked around and found herself in a small off-white room. She was lying on a bed with machines all around her. Emily stared at the heart monitor with fascination. It beeped and the line jumped in time with her heartbeat.**

**After a few moments she was jolted from her hypnosis by the sound of footsteps entering the room. She turned quickly and saw Tristan walk into her room. He still wore that same black t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans with hiking boots on his feet. His presence was a welcomed one. His wavy brown hair hung in his eyes, but Emily could still see his soft, caring brown eyes. Tristan walked over to her bedside and pulled a chair over to sit down. He took her hand and smiled at her. "Hey," he said softly. Tristan brushed her hair out of her face and smiled once more. "How are you feeling?"**

**Emily remained quiet. She wanted to speak. She wanted to say so many things but she couldn't. She wanted to tell Tristan she remembered seeing him at the wreck site. She wanted to tell him how grateful she was. There was so much she wanted to say but she found herself unable to speak. It was as if she didn't know how to form the words. "Shh," he whispered softly, gently stroking her face. Her skin was so pale; it always had been, but now even more so. He studied her face and looked into her terrified, innocent eyes. "It's all right," he whispered. "Don't worry you're safe now. I'm here, I'll protect you," he whispered to her. Tristan looked up when he noticed Emily's gaze leave him and move towards the door. He glanced behind him and saw Sarah standing in the doorway. He looked back at Emily. "I'll be right back," he whispered. Then Tristan stood and kissed her forehead gently. He walked out of the room with Sarah and disappeared from sight.**

Sarah led the young man down the maze of halls and stopped at a door that led outside to smoking section for hospital staff and patients. She pushed open the door without a word and made her way onto the patio. Overhead the moon hung in the sky and stars twinkled soundlessly. She took a seat at one of the round white tables provided and motioned for Tristan to do the same. When he was seated she rubbed her weary eyes and thought hard for the opening to the conversation.

"You're not human," she finally stated simply, bypassing all pleasantries.

**Tristan laughed at her forwardness and nodded slowly. "I would prefer that Emily not know about that just yet," he said simply. "There's still so much she doesn't understand about the part she has to play in this." Tristan looked up at the sky then back at Sarah. "Your sister isn't human either," he said simply. He paused and took a deep breath. "I picked Emily up, by no coincidence as I'm sure you can tell. I gave her a ride to Salvation, Iowa so she could find Sam and Dean. I... I didn't know about the crash until it was too late," he said simply. Tristan looked down and there was remorse, even pain in his eyes. He looked over at Sarah and sighed. "You love him. Sam."**

Sarah tried hard to hide her confusion at how well this man seemed to know their lives. Her anger began to fuel as she came to the understanding that benevolent though he might be he was holding out on her at the worst possible time.

"Yes, I love him. I'm going to marry him aren't I? But you probably already knew that. Do you know what my first word was too?" she asked, the edge in her voice evident. "I know my sister isn't human. But since you know so much why don't you enlighten me as to what's going on with her."

She sat back, waiting for him to pick up her challenge. She wanted to know just how much this guy knew and if he knew more than she did. She began scanning him without really thinking about it, her mind searching for any hint that he was lying or holding back anything he knew.

**Tristan laughed and shook his head. This girl was quick, rather witty as well. It entertained him. "Your sister is suffering," he said simply. "She's a fighter but something took hold of her. You thought she was dead for the better part of the last few months haven't you? That's because she was for at least a brief moment. When a demon possesses a person it heals the body. If the demon leaves the body the injuries will resurface and if they are bad enough the host will die. Your sister however was never possessed, she herself possesses the DNA. She was dead, for a brief moment but the demon inside her, the demon she took back to save the man she loves, was forced to take over completely in order to heal the body. She's coming back but it will be a slow and painful process."**

Sarah sucked in her breath. "I know my sister better than anyone. I know how tough she is, how unstoppable she can be in a fight. Would you really want to face her in battle?" Sarah posed the question to test his confidence of his own abilities. "What if she doesn't come back? How do you stop something that strong?"

**"The same way Dean stopped it before," he said almost snapping at her. "Physical force will not bring her back Sarah. You have to trust Dean's strength." Tristan sighed and looked down. "I hope it never comes to that. You want my honest opinion Sarah, what I really think? I would never want to battle her, for her own safety. There are very few things that will bring me to that point. Dean will keep her from needing that," he said simply. Tristan sighed and looked at her. "I know you know Alex better than anyone but my situation is a little different. I am not here for you, or for Alex. I am here for the Winchesters, for Sam and Dean, and," he paused. He wasn't really there for Emily but he had become so attached in that short amount of time. For someone as difficult to read as Tristan the feelings he had for Emily were painfully obvious to someone like Sarah and Tristan knew it. He simply glanced up at her and remained silent.**

Sarah almost laughed. "Yeah, you're pretty damn transparent," she informed him. "And for your information, I wasn't talking about how to bring her back. I know Dean can do that, given the chance. I'm talking about the here and now. If she doesn't come back. Who's going to stop her? I'm not strong enough to kill her. So who is? That's what I was implying. The fact that I might have to kill my own sister to keep her from killing." Sarah paused and the pain from her months of grieving washed over her face. When she spoke again her voice was much softer. "I know Alex wouldn't want me to let her become a demon. She would rather I kill her than that happen. I believe that she'll come back but I wonder if there's enough time."

**Tristan lifted her chin to look at him, the same way he did so often with Emily. "I make you the promise now that you will never have to take your sister's life," he said simply. "There are those strong enough to stop her." Tristan ignored her comment about him being transparent. "I came here to protect the Sam and Dean. That is what I will do, if that means I have to... if that means that the demon that took your sister's body, that Alex, has to die then so be it. But I will not make that decision unless I have no choice." He paused and looked down. "I came here to keep them safe, and if Alex died that would destroy Dean and I would have failed. I will not fail her-them," he corrected himself quickly. He almost said he wouldn't fail her, the her of course being Emily...He glanced up at Sarah and sighed. "I make that promise to you Sarah Delaney, you have my word that your sister will not lose her life at your hands, or anyone else's but mine and only if there is no other alternative."**

Sarah studied him intently and found that although she didn't understand him, she believed every word that he spoke. She stood suddenly in agitation. He kept saying that he had come here to protect Sam and Dean, which meant that there was something really bad still out there that was after them. She had gone up against plenty in her life and been in a few fights she honestly thought she would never get out of alive. Somehow, someway, all of their lives were tied together. Hers, Sam, Dean, Alex, Emily, John, Tristan . . . .somehow in a way she couldn't yet quite put together the courses of all their lives had brought them to this one point where everybody had a part to play in a bigger scenario.

Sarah stopped pacing long enough to face him. She had telepathically imparted the line of thought process to him so that he could understand that while Alex was the brawn, she was the brains. Whatever he was hiding she would figure out and soon. As it stood right now the only one of them in danger was Alex and that was her main concern.

"What's your relationship with Emily?" she asked suddenly.

She felt that if she could ask all the right questions then she would be able to feel him out and find out his secret. She had a feeling he wasn't going to volunteer the information.

**Tristan watched her pace and nodded in understanding. Alex was in danger, more so than the others. The demon needed time to figure out a new plan of action. For the moment at least, Sam Dean and John were safe. Alex was on the verge of a demonic meltdown. She was a danger to not only anyone around her but herself. Tristan nodded again but then looked up at her. He was completely unprepared for that question and for once hadn't seen it coming. "Wha... what," he asked obviously unsure of what to say. "What do you mean?"**

Sarah hid a smile. She was glad the she had finally hit a nerve in his cool composure. She felt strongly that he underestimated her powers of logic and reasoning and to that end she would find her answers. "I mean that you keep saying you're here for Sam and Dean, but every time I see you you're with Emily. Hovering, protecting, touching . . . .," Sarah trailed off, letting her words sink in. "If you're here to keep the boys safe then why so much time with her?"

**Tristan stood and looked down at her. He took a moment to figure out what to say. If he knew the answer to her question he would tell her. He didn't know though. Emily meant something to him, she was so much more than anyone he had ever come in contact with. After a moment he swallowed hard. "She needs it more than they do," he answered simply. "She's been through a lot. She's lost and broken. And Dean cares about her, deeply. He'd do anything to protect her the same way he'd do anything to protect Sam, you and your sister. He's not able to protect her, to care for her right now, so I'm doing it." That was more of what he had rationalized it to. Though in his mind he wasn't sure if that was entirely true.**

One corner of Sarah's mouth turned up in a smile and her eyebrow raised as her empathic power easily picked up on his confused feelings. "That's a lot of caring to be doing just because Dean can't," she offered. Just as suddenly as her last question had come she changed the subject again, attempting to keep him off guard. "I saw you. The way you look on the inside. Human beings and demons don't glow, Tristan."

She let the words hang without a question at the end, knowing he would catch her meaning.

**Tristan forced a small smile on his face. In reality he was upset he hadn't hidden it as well as he should have. He hadn't expected her to notice that aspect of him for a long time. "Well then that obviously means I'm none of those," he said simply. He wouldn't tell her, not just yet anyway. It was too soon. She would learn when the time was right. "You seem to trust me though."**

"Trust implies that I know you well enough to put my life in your hands," she told him. "Which I don't. So trust is kind of stretching it a little bit. I would say more that I can't control the fact that you're here so I'm just going to let things be. Until you screw up. I'll trust you when I know without a doubt which side you're on and I can promise you that neither Sam nor Dean, or their father for that matter, will trust you if I don't. They can't see into people's souls and minds like I do. So they will trust what I tell them. If I decide that you're up to no good then you can kiss your self-appointed mission goodbye."

Sarah had come unconsciously close, raising her eyes to meet his own and although she was shorter than he was that didn't stop her from seeming slightly intimidating. She was confidant in both her powers and the fact that all three Winchesters trusted her implicitly. She knew that what she had just spoken was the truth. When she spoke they would listen. Emily might stand up for him but she was fragile, scared, and easily manipulated by a good looking stranger with seemingly nice intentions. Tristan, if he was on the wrong side, could easily slip in and get close to her. Sam and Dean would realize that Sarah was objective and wouldn't be swayed or manipulated half as easily as Emily. Sarah's word would be taken over Emily's for her own protection, whether the girl liked it or not. She let Tristan again view her thoughts as soon as they crossed her mind, showing him that what she spoke was true.

**Tristan listened to her words and sighed. She was right but that didn't mean he was going to tell her anything more, not just yet. The Winchesters did trust her. She held a lot of sway but Tristan knew she could see his intentions. Amazingly, after all the accusations Tristan remained calm. He hadn't raised his voice once, though at this point most would have. It wasn't until he saw what she thought that he finally became angry. "I would never, NEVER, hurt her," he snapped at her. The instant the words came out of his mouth that he had opened himself up for her to see every feeling he had for Emily. He knew what it was but he would never admit it to anyone, much less to himself. He wasn't supposed to. He knew the trouble he'd get in for it.**

Sarah stepped back and smiled. She let him know from her expression that he had just played right into her hands. The outburst was what she had been hoping for; when a person became emotional it was hard to cover up their true self. She had been able to look deeper than his feelings for Emily in that moment of vulnerability and while she still didn't know who he was or where he came from she had a gut feeling that he was on their side for the time being. She sat back down, happy with herself for breaking through his shell.

"She deserves a lot," she said softly. "There is only so much a human can take before they break and never recover. I hope you're willing to stand up to that. I hope you realize how far down the rabbit hole you're going. Emily needs more than just protection; she needs unconditional love, guidance, and tough love. If she's going to come back from her past and reach her true potential then we can't keep babying her."

Sarah stood up and took his hands in her own, a gesture of more trust than she was willing to admit that she felt for him. "My heart tells me to trust you. My head tells me that I need to play it safe for awhile and make sure my heart is right. So I'll do both. I'll trust you until you give me reason not too. I hope that reason never comes."

**Tristan sighed and sank back down into his chair. He had never felt so overwhelmed before, save when he walked out of the shower and saw Emily sitting there on the bed. The innocence in her eyes. There was such beauty in that fragile body. Tristan let Sarah see all of it, his little glances at Emily in the truck on their way to Salvation. Tristan glanced up at Sarah and let her feel exactly what he felt for Emily. Pure love, he knew he shouldn't, it was wrong but that didn't matter to him. She was so vulnerable and he was going to keep her safe. Tristan sighed and listened to what Sarah had to say. "I know," he said simply. "She is far from being babied though," Tristan said quickly. "She's worked so hard to get back to Sam and Dean. She needs rest and for someone to actually tell her what she has gotten herself into. She has no idea what she's up against and neither do you. I'd hate to sound so grim but it's true."**

Sarah smiled. "I may not know how big the pile of shit is that I just stepped in but I know that I'm a big girl. I've had plenty of time to master my powers. I'm not afraid of the big bad wolf, even if I should be. Whatever we're up against, I'm not running away. I'll stand and fight for or with Sam. Whatever it takes."

**Tristan laughed and smiled at her. "I know," he said simply. "I want you to know Sarah, that I have been around for a long time and... a love like you have for Sam, or your sister has for Dean. That is rare, rare and dying. Hold on to that," he said quietly. "It will pull you through anything. But you've already seen that haven't you," he said with a laugh. Tristan sighed and looked down for a moment. "This thing has been searching for the Winchesters for twenty plus years. It took John," he said simply. "You have no idea the events of that night do you? I can tell you if you want to know."**

Sarah shook her head. "Sam can tell me, when he's ready. I know most of it, I know about the demon and their hunt. I know how dangerous he is and I know first hand how manipulative he can be. Right now I need to go be with Sam. I should have been there to protect him, but I'm here now. And you . . .," she hesitated with the slightest of smiles on her face. She wouldn't talk about his feelings for Emily open, respecting that for whatever reason he needed to keep them private. "You should go and help Emily on her road to recovery."

**"Sarah," he said softly as he stood. "Don't blame yourself. There was nothing you could have done to stop it. What happened was unstoppable," he told her simply. "Sam's not angry with you and you shouldn't worry about him." Tristan paused and looked towards the window of Emily's room. He knew she wasn't there. "She's with Sam," he said quietly.**

Sarah stood at his side quietly and didn't question how he knew exactly where Emily was. There were many things about Tristan that she didn't pretend to understand. He was a mystery in many ways, but an open book in others. She started down the hallway to Sam's room. "Well, that makes things easier."

**6**

**Emily sat up slowly when Tristan was gone. She tried to move her legs but found them wrapped in a hard, white substance. She knew vaguely what it was and that it was meant to help. She couldn't sit there though. Emily felt so helpless. She had to find Dean. Emily looked to one side and noticed that next to the bed there was a wheelchair. She turned and let her feet dangle off the bed. Emily reached over and pulled the chair closer. With astonishing grace she managed to seat herself in the chair. Emily looked around and it took a moment for her to figure out how to work the damn thing. Once she figured it out she rolled out of the room and down the hall. She looked through every window to find Dean. She came across several rooms with the blinds closed and had to look at the chart. Finally she found one. The chart outside the room said "Winchester" but she didn't bother to check which one. Emily pushed the door open and rolled inside. She rolled up to the bed and noticed that the one lying in it was not Dean, but his younger brother Sam. Emily stared at Sam's scarred and bruised face. She didn't know what to think. Emily thought none of them were alive but she noticed the heart monitor that beeped steadily, like hers did. She smiled to herself. At least Sam was alive. Emily closed her eyes and sat there with her head resting on the side of Sam's bed and she slowly picked up his hand. He wasn't so scary now that she realized he had been in her position. She came to know that she saw fire in his eyes because of what he went through not because of what he was.**

**That knowledge made it easier for her to like Sam. He was sweet, caring, kind. Emily opened her eyes slowly when she felt Sam's hand squeeze hers a little. She sat up and looked at him as his eyes slowly opened. Emily smiled at him and he returned the favor. "Hi," he said in a hoarse whisper. Sam looked her over to see how she was. She looked all right. Sam noticed she was sitting in a wheelchair. He sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. He smiled at her again and they were silent for a long time. "How's Dean," he asked quietly. Sam's question was met with a shrug from Emily and he sighed looking up at the ceiling. "I'm sure he'll be fine," he whispered.**

**Sam looked up from Emily when he noticed to people standing in the doorway. It was Sarah and a young man that Sam didn't recognize. Emily turned to face them. The young man walked in and stood behind Sarah. "Hello Sam," he said with a smile. "My name is Tristan Michaels." He took Sam's hand and shook it gently. Then he looked down at Emily and over at Sarah. "Emily, I think we should leave these two alone. There are some things I need to explain to you." Emily looked up at Tristan and nodded. Then she looked back at Sam and smiled. "He'll be all right eventually Sam," Tristan answered in regards to Dean. Tristan took hold of the wheelchair and rolled her out of the room**.

Sarah sat down next to Sam and took in his battered appearance with tears in her eyes. She reached out and took his hand in her own and tried hard to be strong for him. Sam smiled slightly but Sarah could tell that it pained him to do so.

"Sam," she said. "I'm so sorry. I should have been there. I should have protected you."

"I'm glad you weren't there," he told her, his voice stronger now. "I would die if anything happened to you."

Sarah hung her head and chose not to argue with him. She thought of all that Sam needed to know and how to explain everything.

"Sam," she told him. "Alex isn't dead. It's long and complicated but she's alive and she's not human anymore."

"What?" Sam demanded, exhilaration and confusion taking him all at once. "What do you mean she isn't human?"

"Tristan said that her demonic half healed her body after the gunshot wound and now her human soul is missing. It's coming back but too slowly," she explained.

"Tristan said this? How does he know?"

Sarah shrugged. "He's not human, I know that much. But for some reason I trust him. He saved Alex from spontaneously combusting and that earns him brownie points in my book. He knows a lot more than he should and I'm not sure what he's about but I'm just going to leave him be and watch him."

"Are you sure he's not a demon?" Sam asked.

"I'm sure he's not a demon but that doesn't mean that he's not something else entirely. I got a good handle on my powers while I was gone but even I don't know their full limitations. There could very well be something out there strong enough to shield themselves from me."

Sam nodded. "Just keep a close eye on him and watch him when he's around Emily. She's not as fragile as she seems but she still needs protecting."

Sarah smiled. "I'm all over it. I like her. I'm not going to let a fly touch her much less an agent of Hell. You can clock me in as her bodyguard."

Sam laughed softly. "How's Dean, do you know?"

"He's alive but he probably won't wake up for awhile. Speaking of Emily, you have some explaining to do. I want to know everything."

She sat back and listened while Sam explained everything he knew about Emily and how she had come to be involved in their lives. It hurt Sarah to think of how much pain the girl had gone through and how much she was enduring now. She had to stop herself from running to her side and taking it all away with her powers. Sarah had to remind herself that pain made a person stronger and that in order to heal Emily would have to come to terms with her past. It surprised her to know that she was a psychic like herself but she was willing to bet money that Emily didn't know how to control it. Considering the huge mess they were all in Sarah thought it might be worthwhile to try and teach her how.

"I love you Sam," she said suddenly. She leaned forward to gently kiss his lips and then pulled back. "You better get your ass out of this hospital bed fast so we can have a two story house with a white picket fence."

"And two kids?" Sam laughed.

"Depends on who's giving birth," she joked. She smiled at him and felt all the love in the world for this one man. "You need rest. Go to sleep. I have to go find my sister and see if I can make any breakthroughs."

Sam nodded. "Okay. Come back?"

"Of course," she told him. She kissed his forehead and stood from the chair. "I'll always come back to you."

Sam smiled as she walked from the room.

**7**

**Emily looked up at Tristan as he wheeled her out onto the patio him and Sarah had been sitting at. He pulled a chair over and sat in front of her. Tristan lifted her head to look at him. "What you did back there," he said softly. "With John, you did the right thing." He smiled and wiped away her tears. "Don't cry Emily, please." Tristan wrapped his arms around the girl and she broke down. He could feel her body quake as she sobbed softly. "Shh, don't worry. Dean will be fine. I'm here to protect you," he whispered looking into her eyes. He smiled at her and noticed a faint smile appear on her face.**

**He sighed and looked down for a moment. "Emily you have to say something. You can't go on silent like this. The doctors, they worry about you Emily. They want to do a psych evaluation. You're in shock and I understand why." Tristan took hold of her hands and looked into her eyes. "If they do this evaluation, Emily, they will lock you up. I can't let them do this but unfortunately I have very little say here." Tristan sighed and looked down for a moment. "I understand you're scared. Emily, believe me I understand you're afraid. The things you've seen the last two days, I don't blame you." Tristan cupped his hands around her face and looked into her eyes once more. "But Emily, you need to speak, even if it's just a little."**

"**De… Dea… Dean," she whispered. It was barely audible but it was there. Tristan smiled and ran his fingertips along her face. "Is… is Dean… is he…," her voice trailed away.**

"**Dean will be fine in time. He was hurt badly in the crash, not to mention what the demon in his father's body did to him." Tristan paused and sighed. "Come with me Emily," he said standing. He took hold of the wheel chair once more and pushed her back into the hospital and down the hall. He slowed and walked into another room. There was a man lying on the bed. The heart monitor beeped steadily but he didn't wake up. "Emily I want to know that you know who this man is," he said kneeling next to the girl. "The man you see lying here, this is John Winchester." Tristan took a picture out of his pocket; he had taken it from her things earlier at the crash site. "The man in this picture, with the boys. "That is John Winchester." He paused and turned her chair to face him. "The man you saw last night, the man that was hurting Dean. That man was not John Winchester. I need you to understand that."**

**Emily looked back and forth between Tristan and John. She didn't know what to say. She wanted to believe him. In her mind, in her heart she knew the difference but when she looked at him all she saw was evil. All she saw was the pain in Dean's eyes. All she saw when she looked at that man was her father. Tears fell down her face and she nodded slowly. Though she would never fully forgive John Winchester for what happened. Emily turned her head quickly when she saw movement from the bed. She noticed John open her eyes and when she looked back at Tristan for help he was gone. She was left there. Part of her wanted to wheel herself out of the room but for some reason she remained. John turned his head to the side when he noticed her.**

**He was quiet for a moment, studying her. He hadn't really noticed her in the car; his mind had been moving faster than the speed of light. He recognized her though, from when the demon had him. She was a strong girl and cared greatly for his sons. He smiled but it quickly faded when he saw the fear in her eyes. He knew what she was afraid of and he wasn't sure how to fix it. "Please," he said quickly. "I blame myself enough as it is. It's painful enough to bare the memory." He closed his eyes for a moment. "My boys, how… how are they?"**

**Emily sat there in silence for a long time. She looked into the man's eyes. There was so much pain, so much guilt. It overwhelmed her. Emily simply stared and cocked her head to the side in confusion. She didn't understand these feelings that these people had. It was lost to her. She looked down for a moment and eventually looked up at him. "Sa… Sam… Sam wo… woke… woke up," she whispered. "I… I hav… haven't… haven't… haven't seen… seen De… Dean." Her voice was so soft but John was able to hear it. "Tri… Trista… Tristan said… he said Dean would… Dean would be… be all rig… all right."**

"**Tristan," John asked. "Who, who's Tristan?"**

"**R.. ri… ride," she whispered. "He… he gave… gave me a… a ride to… to Sa… Salva… Salvation," she struggled to say. Her voice quivered with fear as she spoke. "So… so I cou.. could find… find De… Dean."**

"**What," John said quickly. He moved a little too much and took in a sharp breath as he shut his eyes tightly. "He what? And you just trusted him?"**

"**No… not a… not a ba… bad… bad person… person," she said a little stronger.**

"**He shows up to pick you up and take you to my sons. He disappears and then shows up again after the crash. What's wrong with you, don't you even think? You could have led that demon straight to us," he said all but shouting at her.**

**Emily shut her eyes tightly and lowered her head. Tears fell down her face and she began to sob quietly. "No… not a bad… bad per… person," she repeated. She looked up at him slowly.**

"**We need more time to get better," he snapped at her. "You brought that thing here!"**

"**I did not," she shouted. The machines and instruments around the room began to shake and she stared at John. "He's not… not a de… not a demon," she whispered. The room stopped shaking and Emily fell back in her chair. That took too much out of her. Tristan came running back in and saw her unconscious in the chair.**

**He looked over at John and shook his head. "Give the girl a break," he said simply. "You have no idea what she's gone through." With that Tristan pushed Emily out of the room and back to her own room. He picked her up and put her back on her bed. Then he sat down on the chair on the other side and held her hand. "He'll understand in time," he whispered to Emily even though she couldn't hear it.**

**8**

It was a big hospital, but all the same there were only so many places at this hour of night that her sister could be. Sarah had searched them all repeatedly and came up empty each time. Alex was gone and Sarah had no idea where she had gone to. She wasn't worried about anything that Alex might run up against; despite Tristan's claims that he could defeat her Sarah didn't think there was anything that could bring Alex to her knees. She had seen her older sister at her best and her worst and her worst wasn't half bad at all. Sarah was more worried that her sister would die from demonic-overload with nobody around to help her. Sarah's heart raced and her palms became sweaty as she realized that if Alex really had just disappeared Sarah had no hope of finding her. When Alex didn't want to be found then nobody was going to find her. And it wasn't Alex anymore really so Sarah couldn't search for her empathically. There was nothing to search for. Sarah's mind whirled and her heart cried out in distress. She had just gotten Alex back, she couldn't lose her again. On top of that, if they were going to face a demon stronger than any other they would need Alex for her skill and strength. Sarah had to stop herself from falling to her knees and screaming aloud in the hospital corridor. There wasn't much else she could do. Searching for her sister would prove futile at best.

"Dammit," she whispered, fearing the worst for Alex.

She turned and sprinted down the corridor for the emergency room exit, not caring if searching would prove useless. She was going to do it anyway.

**Tristan looked up from Emily's bed. He could feel the worry in Sarah's heart. It hurt him to see someone in so much pain. She hid it well and he admired her for that though. She was strong. Tristan looked down at Emily and brushed her hair out of her face. She looked so peaceful. Tristan leaned down and lightly pressed his lips against hers. He took some of Sarah's advice. Then he looked down at her and smiled. "Sleep," he whispered in her ear.  
As Sarah walked out the door a hand grabbed her arm. Tristan stood by the door. He showed up almost out of nowhere. "Sarah," he said quickly pulling her to the side. "You can't leave. Sam needs you here. I will find your sister," he said looking into the girl's eyes. "They need you here. They need someone to protect them and you're the only one strong enough. I can hold my own against your sister." Tristan stood there watching her for a moment. His eyes pleaded with hers. "Please Sarah, trust me."**

Sarah searched his eyes, felt the solid grip on her arm that seemed to remind her of Alex's steel grip. She didn't trust him this much, that was for sure. She trusted him while she could see him but further than that and he was asking a lot of her. He was asking her to put her sister's life in his hands and turn her back on the situation. She acted purely on instinct, needing to find Alex, and tried to wrench her arm from his grasp. She knew that he could read her thoughts so she said nothing.  
**Tristan studied her for a moment and a faint smile formed on her face. "I could say the same," he said in reference to Emily. With that Tristan turned and ran off down the street. He seemed to disappear completely into the night. Tristan took a moment to watch Sarah go back into the hospital. "I'll bring her back Sarah," he whispered to the night. "I promise."**

Alex parked her car near a bridge that spanned the length of a small river. The bridge was closed off because it wasn't safe to drive on and it was hidden deep in the middle of the woods off the highway. The turn off that had taken her to it was well hidden from the road and it was only by chance that she had found it. She thought back to her time alone, those months she had spent with no clue to her identity and wished that things were that easy again. Her memories kept returning and with each addition she was more at war with herself. She knew the young woman that called herself Sarah to be her sister, her memory told her it was true. Her memory also told her that she had another sister, a twin that was deceased.

She walked out onto the bridge and the wind whipped her hair back from her face. She was alone with the night and all its shadows. She wasn't afraid. She was at home in the dark; night was her friend and companion. She felt safest in its shadows and never feared the things she shared them with.

Alex didn't know why she had come all this way for one man and his memory. He had been haunting her sleep for a long time now and the need to know who he was had driven her here. Now all she wanted to do was leave. She knew who he was now and she didn't care. There was a tiny piece of her that did, a tiny piece that told her to stay in a whisper almost inaudible.

She stood at the edge of the bridge, staring at the black waters below. She had a sudden flash of memory. A car going off a bridge and again a gunshot echoed in her head. Her abdomen burned slightly with the memory, where her scar was, and she pushed back the mental images with a growl. She was better off alone, her heart told her. But that piece of her still whispered, insistently. It told her to stay. It told her that she was more than a shadow in the night and that her purpose was far greater. It spoke of love and passion, laughter and happiness. She shook her head.

The darkness inside her raged against the light and again she felt her temperature soaring as the fires in her soul ignited. Her heartbeat quickened, racing faster than a human heart was able to go. The dark and light inside her battled like titans at war and she watched as a gash opened up on her abdomen, spilling forth blood. Another appeared at her shoulder, and then her arm until it seemed that there was an invisible blade rending her flesh. In all actuality it was her own body reflecting the damage the demonic half was doing from within. It gathered strength, fuming and storming inside her soul and the stronger it got the worse her body became.

Sweat broke out across her skin and still her temperature spiked higher. A laceration appeared on her cheekbone and blood spilled down her face. Her vision dimmed and she tilted forward. The last thing she saw as her body fell over the side of the bridge was the face of the man she loved.

**Tristan held Alex's unconscious body and he carried her off the bridge. He managed to catch her as she fell over the side of the bridge. He was almost too late. Tristan looked down at her. He covered himself in her blood. Tristan knelt down on the ground and held her in his arms. He looked down at her and his heart broke. She was a fighter. She shouldn't be like this. Tristan held her close and closed his eyes. Her fever was high again. He held her tight and felt her temperature decrease slowly. Tristan felt his rise and he looked down at her. He watched as her wounds slowly began to mend. Tristan shut his eyes tightly feeling a pain unlike any other course through his body. "Come on," he whispered looking down at her. After everything seemed to calm down he sat there and held her until she woke.**

**9**

Memories flashed through her mind, her entire life pouring back into her mind all at once. She opened her eyes quickly and found herself staring up at a young man with dark brown hair. It was the man that had been at the accident site. His arms were wrapped around her tightly, her head against his chest, and he looked concerned. She pushed off of him and stood in one fluid movement. She remembered everything and even though the demonic half of her was very present inside of her she was nothing but Alex again. All she remembered of this man was that he mysteriously showed up at the car crash. She instinctively fell into a defensive posture.

Her eyes were crystalline blue again but she didn't need to be demonic to use her martial arts skills. She was in complete control of her body again and her demonic powers were fully under control and at her disposal. She backed away further and stared at the young man warily.

"You've got five seconds to talk," she said.

**Tristan looked into her eyes as she opened them and breathed a sigh of relief. His head spun as he stood and looked at her. Tristan was pale and looked like hell, but it was worth it to help her. "My... my name is Tristan," he said quietly. "I... I came to help. I was sent to keep an eye on the Winchesters. They're safe," he said softly. "Your sister is with Sam and Dean at the hospital. Tell me, do you remember anything in the last few months?"**

Alex narrowed her eyes. He was too calm, too composed. There was something about him that put her on her guard, something inside of him that her demonic half hated with a vengeance. It screamed at her to attack, to kill, and the compulsion was so forceful that her eyes shifted to black without her consent. Her body trembled as she tried to force the need to kill him down. Her nose began to bleed from the struggle and the waves of darkness from inside her, the hatred for him, rolled off her like a cloud that she knew he would be able to sense.

"I remember. . ." she started, struggling to remain in control. "I remember everything. What are you?"

**Tristan noticed the blood dripped from her nose. He wanted to reach out to her but he felt waves of hatred that almost made him double over. He looked up at Alex and sighed. "I'm what you hate most," he answered her in his most determined of voices. He knew at the moment he was speaking to the demon half that inhabited her body. "You know what I am," he said taking a step towards her. He stared straight into her black eyes; his own brown eyes were unwavering.**

She came forward without meaning to and her fists clenched at her sides so hard that her nails would have broken through the skin of her palms were it not for the gloves covering them. "I know what you are," she hissed and it wasn't her voice. Her expression showed a struggle more fierce than she had ever fought before. Alex didn't want to attack him but the demon half of her wanted to make his blood stain the ground. She pushed it back long enough to gain control. "You should leave. Now," she told him, almost pleading.

**Tristan smiled when she said she knew what he was. He could feel the hatred burning inside her but still he knew that Alex would win, with his help, Alex would win. He wouldn't let her near the other though, until she was sure. A thought occurred to him as he stood there. He would have to keep a very close eye on her. The demon hunting the Winchesters could use her against them. It wouldn't possess her since she already has a demon within her but it could find a way to manipulate her. He pushed those thoughts from his mind though. Tristan turned his focus back to her. "No," he said calmly. "I'm going to help you Alex, whether you want my help or not."**

"What I don't want," she clarified through gritted teeth, "is more blood on my hands. And if you keep standing there this time it will be yours."

**"You won't," he snapped at her. "I don't bleed easily," he said quietly. "Alex, I don't want to fight you but if it means Dean's safety, Dean's well-being then I will. If you only knew what he went through last night Alex, over the last few months. He's had his life stripped from him, almost literally." Tristan sighed and tried to calm himself. "Dean needs you now but I won't let you near him until I know he's safe."**

"Just like you guys," she snarled, and again it wasn't her voice. In the back of her mind she pleaded with him to stop her from killing again, but at the same time the compulsion was too strong to deny. He was the enemy. He must be killed at all costs. "Always so sure of yourselves. More than one of you has fallen at our feet."

**"And more than one of you have fallen at mine," he snapped back. He didn't say our, like Alex had, he was more specific. The corner of his mouth curled into an almost menacing smile. "I'm not sure of myself, I'm sure of Alex." He spoke to her as if the one speaking wasn't really Alex. Tristan knew that the demon was part of Alex, it was part of who she was. This situation was different than just a demonic possession. Alex was the demon but there was still a girl in there as well. Tristan closed his eyes, he could feel her pain, the suffering she faced over the last few months. "I don't want to fight you Alex," he said with warning in his voice.**

Alex warred with herself. Her body rushed forward of its own accord to attack him but as her fist rose into the air she forced it back down and instead tried to turn the rush into a simple tackle that he could counter easily. The hatred burned inside her painfully and she couldn't imagine breaking its hold.

**Tristan hesitated for a moment deciding what to do then she dropped her hand and ran at him. Without thinking he turned and ducked out of the way. Tristan appeared behind her almost instantly and wrapped his arm around her neck, holding her in place. He let his foot collide with the back of her knee and he dropped to the ground, holding her in place. His grip was strong, something she could not easily break, but at the same time it wasn't hurting her. "Alex," he whispered in her ear. "You need to listen to me now. You understand why your demon wants me dead, don't you? You know just as well what I am. Because of that you need to listen to me." His voice was soft and calm but at the same time there was dominance in his voice that showed he was not in the mood for an argument "Dean needs you now," he told her looking down at her. "Whatever problems the demon in you has with me you need to work to overcome them. I know I'm not as great with this pep talk stuff as Allison but," he paused and looked down. "Alex, please, can't you hear her. She's pleading for you. You have to fight. I know what she said to you. About your center. You have to fight for him Alex. For Dean and for your sister and future brother in law."**

She brought her hand up and gripped his arm, not to break the hold but for support. The demonic half of her soul raged against her, fighting for dominance and control against its perceived enemy. She gritted her teeth and threw her head back in pain. Her head landed against his shoulder and she could feel how steady his heartbeat was. He wasn't even breaking a sweat.

"Make . . . .it . . . .stop," she gasped. "Get away from me!"

**Tristan held her tight, still not hurting her though. He wrapped his other arm around her waist, holding on to her for support and comfort. "Shhh," he whispered. "You have to fight for them Alex," he whispered in her ear. "Please, they need you. If you lose to this then Dean will be destroyed. He's already been traumatized enough by losing his father to a demon, don't let him lose you too." Tristan wished Dean could have been here for this. They're bond was so much stronger and Dean knew more of the pain Alex was going through. He wasn't sure how to help her other than to just talk her through it. "You have to fight for them, for Sarah, for Allison's memory. Don't let Sarah lose another sister, don't you leave her again."**

Alex grabbed hold of his words, of his presence, stronger than her own, and called on the strength that she had used so many times before to survive. Allison had always said that their demonic halves were tools and tools were to be used as the wielder saw fit. The demonic half was the nail and she was the hammer, the nail was ineffective without the hammer to guide it. As she called on Allison's words and memory the faint scent of gardenia surrounded her and she heard a voice on the breeze.

"You've done your job, Tristan."

Alex relaxed as her sister materialized into the night, glowing white and wearing a flowing dress that seemed to shimmer in the moonlight. Beneath the glow of white lights her sister seemed real enough to touch but the lights were so bright they hurt Alex's eyes. Allison met Tristan's gaze kindly, but steadily. "You've done more than your job."

**10**

**Tristan raised his head as a young woman appeared in front of them. He knew instantly who it was and there was a hint of fear in his eyes. Tristan looked up at her and when she spoke he looked down. "Allison please," he said looking up at her. "You don't... you don't understand." He sounded as though he was pleading with her. "I'm... Allison please... just...," his voice trailed away. For once he was at a loss for words.**

Alex released herself from Tristan's hold and stood up quickly. She knew that her sister wasn't there for her right now and she respected that. She nodded to Allison to show that she was in control again, now and forever, and blew her a kiss before walking away to a more discreet distance. Allison watched her sister go and turned back to Tristan. Her smile was warm, loving, and not at all judgmental. She came forward and took his face in her hands gently.

"I'm not here to chastise you," she told him. "If I were you I would have done the same thing. I appreciate everything you've done for my sisters. Your assignment wasn't Emily, but I believe she should have been included. The higher-ups don't know about you straying from the path. I've been shielding you." Her smile turned mischievous in a good way and her eyes sparkled with amusement.

**Tristan stood to meet Allison's gaze. There was pain in his eyes. He was ashamed and he looked down. "I know she wasn't my assignment," he said quietly. "Its just, Allison I've been watching her for years. All the time she was asleep," he paused and looked down. After a moment Tristan looked up at her. He had been so strong all alone but now in the presence of Allison he was vulnerable. "Allison, I," he paused and glanced down. "Allison, I... she... I..." It was so hard to say. He knew how wrong it was, the rules he was breaking the lines he had crossed. He glanced up at Allison and forced a small smile on his face. "Thank you," he whispered. His eyes had begun to water. The idea that they would take Emily away from him finally hit him and it hit him like a brick wall.**

Allison's heart broke for him. She reached out and took him into her arms, hugging away his confusion and grief. She kissed the top of his head in reassurance. "They don't know anything, Tristan," she told him. "Emily isn't going to be taken away from you. It may be against the rules, but all rules have to be broken at some point. As I've said, they don't know what's going on because I've been shielding you. They sent me down here to watch you and I've seen plenty, but none of it is worth reporting back about. That girl needs you just like you need her. They all need you, although my sister will be too stubborn to admit it. You really have to watch her. She likes to leap before looking no matter how long the drop is. Trust me, I know from experience."

**Tristan laughed and looked over at Alex. He just glanced over at her then looked back at Allison. "I have to protect her," he whispered. He clung to Allison the way Emily clung to him. "I can't lose her." Tristan stopped and looked down. "She's all I have, all that's worth fighting for." Tristan looked up at Allison and their eyes met. "Can't you see it Allison," he whispered. "I love her, at least... that's... that's what I think it is? Is it love Allison," Tristan asked as a single tear rolled from his left eye. "Can I save her," he asked referring to Alex.**

Allison sighed. "I know you love Emily. It's your love and Sarah's tutoring on her powers that will guide her to her potential. She's strong, but she needs a hand to take her home. I'll tell you something. There have been a few times in history where one of our kind has been allowed to remain on earth indefinitely, in special cases. I'm fairly certain, depending on the outcome of this whole situation, that I can convince them that this is a special case. Don't give up hope yet. I'm lobbying for you, Tristan." Allison's gaze wandered to her twin, who was standing at the bridges edge and staring down into the dark water below. "As for Alex . . . .her battle is constant and never-ending. There will always be something that will make her struggle with her nature. There is always a chance that evil will gain a foothold on her soul and in those cases only the strongest can bring her back. For now, that falls on you. In order to convince them that you're ready to be here you have to succeed higher than you normally would. That means not only taking on your love for Emily and helping her heal, but you must shoulder the responsibility of protecting them all. They are all equally important in the battle to come and they are all interconnected. If one falls, they will all fall."

**Tristan studied her for a long time. He looked back at Alex then at her sister. "I can't," he whispered. "The one that should bring her back from that place is Dean, not me," he said softly. He understood that Dean was unable to do so at the moment but he didn't think he was strong enough. Tristan took a deep breath and tried to remember that he was there to protect the Winchesters, not Emily. He looked up into Allison's eyes. "She needs me," he whispered. "I can hear it, I can hear her." There was pain in his eyes. "I can't lose her Allison," he whispered. "I've... I've never felt this," he whispered. "I can't lose her," he said quietly. "Allison, what if I can't prove myself, what if I fail. Don't let them take her from me please."**

"I'm not letting them take anyone from you, you have my word," she promised solemnly. "But you have to look at the big picture. When you were sent here they didn't know how bad it was going to get. Dean and Sam can't fight for themselves or for the girls. Alex can't be the single warrior against what's to come, and I can promise that the demon will make his move before Sam and Dean are ready. You have to adapt to the situation at hand, and this situation calls for your shoulders to take on more responsibility. Where once you had two charges, now you have five." She stared hard at him, letting him know in no uncertain terms that she was changing his assignment to fit the current circumstances. "Alex can bring herself back, for the most part. And for right now, she will be the most valuable ally you can have. She's fine now and she'll remain that way for awhile. I can tell you that the best way to learn how to help her is to get to know her. She's difficult and stubborn, but if you know her mind and heart, she's easy to help. Just talk to her, Tristan. She needs to know how much you're counting on her." Allison's eyes softened. "As for Emily, bring her back slowly. Let Sarah help her learn to use her powers and she will be a strong asset. Teach her to trust and not to fear; show her that the world isn't as bad a place as she thinks it is. When you bring them all together for one cause, as one family and one team, then your mission will be successfully completed. And I should have no problem convincing them to let you stay."

**Tristan sighed and lowered his head. He looked up and glanced at Alex. He knew what he had to do; he knew the pressures that were placed on his shoulders now. Tristan took a deep breath and looked at Allison once more. He smiled and laughed. "You are amazingly good at this," he said with a laugh. "I wish I could build someone up like that." He was unaware of the impact his words had on Emily's mind. Tristan sighed and looked over at Alex once more. "We should get back, Sarah's probably getting worried."**

Allison laughed. "You forget that she's empathic among many other things. She already knows Alex is fine. She can sense her now that her human half is dominant. You have to teach Emily to trust those around her, including Alex and John," she said firmly. "But I would recommend starting with Alex. I know she's not ready to face John just yet. But Alex is a very good place to start building trust for those things that she doesn't understand. Talk to Alex about it, I'm sure once she understands she will be willing to help. I know she's rough around the edges but she has a good heart. Take the time to talk to her, Tristan, or you will never bring them together. And right now, she's the only other battle-ready ally you have."

**Tristan nodded and looked over at Alex. He laughed when she mentioned John. "I don't know if she'll ever be ready to face him," he said simply. "John when he's not possessed is hard enough to get along with. It will be hard for her after what he did to Dean," Tristan said softly. He sighed and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "I should go," he said simply. He smiled at Allison and gave her a hug. "Thanks," he said simply. After a moment he looked over at Alex.**

"Your welcome," she said sincerely. "I'll be around. If you need me for anything at all, just call my name."

**He smiled at Allison and walked over to Alex. **Behind him Allison disappeared into the night but as promised her presence could be felt from a distance.

**11**

**He stood next to her on the bridge and was silent for a long time. "Hey," he said after a while. He glanced over at her. "So, I know I've told you this several times but I never did get to really introduce myself. Tristan Michaels," he said extending his hand to her. **

Alex turned to him from where she had been contemplating secret thoughts in the dark waters below. She stared at his hand for a moment before taking it firmly and then releasing it. "Not your real name," she stated simply. "But I guess it works for you."

**He laughed and nodded. "You're right, it's not my real name," he said with a laugh. Tristan sighed and leaned against the rail of the bridge. He looked down at the dark water then up at the clear night sky. The stars were hidden a little from the lights of Jefferson City. He sighed and looked over at Alex. "Your sisters something special huh," he said with a laugh. He remembered Allison from before. For a while he kept a watch of the Delaney girls, because they were Allison's sisters. "I need your help Alex," he said skipping to the point. "You know what happened to Sam and Dean." He laughed and glanced over at her. "I suppose it was divine retribution for what Dean did to your Nova," he said with a small laugh. Tristan sighed and looked back out over the water. "We're the only ones that can fight this," he said simply.**

"There isn't enough divine retribution in all the world for what Dean did to my car," she said flatly. "But I'll kill the thing that did this to him anyway with a smile on my face. But I gather that it's not going to be that easy. So what do you want me for?"

**"Getting them back to the way they were," he said simply. "The only way to defeat this thing is to fight it as a family," he said simply. "I need your help to do that. You didn't... you didn't get a chance to meet Emily," he said softly with a faint smile on his face. "Do you remember her? The girl that was in the car with Dean." He sighed and turned so he leaned his back against the rail and looked over at her.**

"I remember her," she said. "That girl couldn't be any more terrified of me if I had devil horns and a sign around my neck that read 'Boogeyman'."

**"No, she'd be more afraid if you were a priest," he said with a laugh. "The devil she can handle, but God," he said with a laugh. Tristan shook his head. If she knew the truth about him Tristan wasn't sure what Emily would think. "Sam and Dean found her about three months ago," he said simply. He sighed and proceeded to tell Alex Emily's story. "I picked her up on her way to Salvation to meet up with Sam and Dean." He sighed and looked down. "She's been through so much. That's why I need you. I need to teach her to trust. She trusts Dean; she loves Dean, but... I need to teach her to trust you and more importantly for her to trust John. He sighed and lowered his head. "The demon, the demon they've spent their whole lives fighting, it took John," he said with a sigh. "Dean was... Dean was hurt bad Alex. More so psychologically than physically but Emily... Emily saw his father torturing him and... I just... I worry that she'll never trust him." Tristan sighed and looked over at her. "She's special, different."**

"I wonder how she'd feel about Dean if she knew the things that he did not too long ago," she mused. "I don't see how I'm supposed to help you teach her to trust. I'm muscle; I fight off the bad guys and keep everyone safe. I make wise ass remarks and kill things. That's what I'm good at. Being bodyguard to the whole damn world." She stopped and realized that she was starting to sound bitter and resentful. She turned her attention back to the dark waters swirling below, studying it as though it held a secret she desperately needed to know. "Emily needs love. Other than Dean and Sarah, I'm not so good with that emotion. Too much darkness in one body, ya know? It's hard enough to love without a demon half, harder to love when you have part of yourself that hates the very idea. I don't know how you think I can help her."

**"About that," he said referring to Dean's demonic moments. "I would prefer Emily never find out about that," he said simply. "She trusts Dean, she loves Dean more than I've seen her love anyone. He's her family," he said simply. "I don't want to destroy that." Tristan sighed and let his head fall back for a moment. "Help her trust you," he said simply. Tristan looked over at Alex and sighed. "She has so much potential," he said with a faint smile. "She can be so strong, a force like you but she's so fragile right now. She needs someone to look to," he said simply.**

"Ohh no," she said. "You want me to play role model to a girl that can't even stand to look at me? And then we'd be having the fisticuffs because if she decides she's going to attack me then I can't promise the demonic half of me won't retaliate. All that oxygen deprivation you've been subjected to is going to your head. I'm no role model to anybody."

**First off, she's not afraid to look at you. She saw you last night at the crash site," he said quickly. His voice was strong and almost angry. "I'm not asking you to be a role model. Alex she needs help, help that I can't give her. She's not afraid of you; you're not the one that haunts her dreams when she closes her eyes." Tristan hated to say it because Emily cared so deeply for Dean. "The one she fears is John. When she looks at John she sees her father." Tristan sighed and closed his eyes. "Alex, please listen to me. If Emily is in the room, she won't let you near Dean until she trusts you. Dean is the only family she has and she has it in her mind that she needs to protect him."**

Alex laughed and straightened her body out to her full height. She stared at Tristan long and hard to show him that even without her demonic half to aid her she wasn't afraid of him or his version of retribution. "Let me tell you something right now," she said dangerously. "Emily can love and respect Dean all she wants. I won't stand in the way of that if that's what she needs right now. But she's not going to keep me away from Dean no matter if she trusts me or not. I don't care how strong she is, I'm stronger."

She paused and broke her gaze to look out over the span of the bridge. "I'll talk to her. That's all I can offer. But rest assured that she's not standing in my way of getting to Dean."

**"You don't know that," Tristan snapped at her. He knew that Emily was not one to be underestimated. He closed his eyes and calmed down for a moment. "Sorry," he said quietly. Alex may not be empathic like Sarah but Tristan knew that he was quite transparent when it came to his feelings for Emily. He sighed and looked over at her. "The two of you would make an amazing team," he said with a smile. "You'd like her," he said with a nod. Tristan sighed and looked down. "When Dean wakes up you'll have to talk to him about her. She won't understand what you have. Love is something beyond her comprehension. She's never," he paused and knew it was painful to say. "She's never really experienced it before. She'll see you as a threat."**

Alex sighed in mild irritation. "That's great for her. She'll just have to get over that. Come on, I want to get this done and over with. I have a real job to do."

**"Watch it," he snapped at her. "This will take time and you have to be willing to give that time," he said quickly, standing in front of her in an almost threatening manner. "You have to understand what you've gotten yourself into," he said quickly. He stared down at her, straight into her eyes. He sighed and looked down. "Please, Alex," he said looking up at her. "Everything, everything they've fought so hard for their entire lives depends on us working together. Help me with this. Just give Emily a chance please."**

Alex bit her lip to keep from laughing as she pushed past him to begin the walk back to her car. She didn't wait for him to catch up. She spoke over her shoulder as she walked.

"You're a riot," she said, this time actually laughing. "Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in a better looking body." She pushed past a branch and kept walking. "I never said I wasn't going to give her a chance. I just said I want to get this over with since I have actual work to do. You're a nutcase."

**"What work," he snapped at her. Tristan appeared in front of her almost instantly. "What actual work do you have to do Alex? Your work is lying unconscious in a hospital bed because a semi-truck driven by a possessed man slammed into his car." Tristan sighed and shook his head. "Do you have some place better to be than by his side, by her side? She's family to him," he snapped at her. "He promised her she'd be safe and he's not around to do it. Where could you possibly have to be that's more important than with Dean," he shouted at her. Allison was right, she was stubborn as hell. It was starting to get to him. His patience was running thin.**

"There you go again with the Mr. Hyde," she said with a shake of her head. "Pick one please. Either be strong and tough like you are now, or be meek and gentle. One of the two. It's confusing when you're both." She glared at him. "My _job_ is to track down any demons lurking in our midst that might want to cut off the boys' oxygen while they're sleeping. My _job_ is to watch all of our backs and keep us safe. My _job_ is to be the world's best underpaid bodyguard to this whole family, Emily included. I don't have time to sit around and mope. I have to be alert and ready. Always ready. So I'll talk to her but then I'm doing my job."

She pushed past him angrily, nearly shoving him out of the way without checking her strength first.

**Tristan tripped backwards as she walked passed. He watched her walk away and sighed. Tristan looked back towards the bridge and sighed as he saw her get in her car. This was going to be harder than he thought.**

**12**

**Emily woke up shortly after Tristan left. She was saddened to find him gone but Sarah had reassured her that he was all right. Emily sat alone in her room for a long time. Emily felt so helpless there. She wanted to get up, to move, to run away. She wanted to run so far away that he would never find her. Every time she closed her eyes she saw his face, those eyes. It haunted her. She could still hear Dean's cries, his pleas for his father to save him. Every time she closed her eyes she saw her father's face, she saw John's face, the demon's eyes.**

**Emily stared out the window into the empty night sky. She hadn't said anything since her conversation with John. She was terrified of that man. She trembled as she thought about that night. She could hear Dean's cries, feel his pain. Tears fell down Emily's face as she thought back on it. She couldn't protect him, she had failed. Dean was hurting because of her. If she had just listened she would have been there. She would have been able to help. But she had been stupid, she hadn't listened to him. She should have stayed put.**

**Hours passed and she remained awake. Her body was exhausted. She found it hard to breathe sometimes. Her body begged for her to go to sleep but she was afraid to close her eyes, she was afraid of her dreams, her nightmares. So she remained awake. She wanted desperately to curl up, hug her knees to her chest and bury her head in her hands and disappear entirely. But she couldn't move her legs. One was wrapped in an ace bandage. It had been badly sprained but not broken. The other however, the bones had all but shattered. Since Emily couldn't move both legs she bent one and hugged it close. She lowered her head and closed her eyes. After a few moments she opened them again when she heard footsteps. Emily assumed it was Tristan but when she looked up she discovered that it wasn't.**

Alex pushed open the door to Emily's room and stepped inside. The girl looked up at her as she entered and Alex could tell immediately that she was beyond exhaustion. She shut the door behind her and stepped further into the room to stand at the foot of the bed.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, searching for an opening to play upon.

**Emily looked down and remained silent for a long time. After a moment she glanced up at Alex. "Fi... fine," she whispered. Her voice was soft, almost inaudible, and very hoarse. Like the first time she spoke to Dean, it was almost painful for her to speak. She looked up at Alex and studied her for a long time. She didn't know what to make of this girl. She was terrifying but at the same time there was something about her that told Emily she was on their side, other than the fact that Tristan told her Alex was on their side.**

Alex hesitated. She had never been very good at making small talk; she was more the type to cut right to the point. She decided to go with what she was comfortable with. She grabbed the chair provided by Emily's bedside and deftly spun it around before settling into it with her arms folded over the back. Her eyes studied the fragile girl intently. "Do you know what I am?"

**Emily watched her sit down and stared at her in silence for a long time. She had a vague idea of what Alex was. "S... spe... special," she whispered. She wasn't sure how else to describe it. Emily looked down. She was special too but there was something different about Alex. "Al... Ale... Alex,' she whispered. Emily thought maybe that was what she was talking about. Emily looked up at Alex and their eyes met. Emily was having trouble keeping hers open but she was afraid to close them. Her fear kept her awake.**

Alex smiled genuinely at the girl's innocence. The smile faded quickly though as she settled to the task at hand. "Emily. I'm going to explain this to you in the best way that I know how. I'm not human like you or Sam or Dean, for that matter. You are special in a very different way from me. When I was born my father was possessed, like John was earlier. My mother didn't know that. When she had me and my twin sister, Allison, we were born with demonic blood. I'm a half demon. Do you understand that?"

**Emily nodded slowly. She understood on some level. Emily looked over at Alex and studied her for a moment. "D... Dean," she whispered. The one person Emily cared most about was the one person she knew least about. Was he all right? Tristan said he'd be find but Emily wanted to know how he was, what kind of condition he was in. She wanted to be there when he woke up to let him know everything would be all right. Emily closed her eyes slowly and tears fell down her face. Everything had gotten so bad. When Sam and Dean left Emily with Jim she thought she had a second chance. Everything seemed to be spiraling out of control and Emily didn't think she could handle it. Seeing the pain in Dean's eyes was unbearable to her.**

Alex took in the girl's expression. She didn't have to be empathic to realize what was going on inside her heart. Alex cleared her throat to pull her from her self-appointed guilt trip. "Focus over here Emily. On me. I'm going to show you something that might scare you, but don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. You have my word. Are you ready?"

**Emily looked over at her confused and already slightly frightened. She wanted to seem strong though so she took a deep breath and nodded. There was a childlike quality to Emily though she was obviously far from a child. "R... re... rea... ready," she whispered a bit stronger than before.**

Alex stood from the chair and looked down on Emily, letting her eyes shift from blue to black. Her entire spiritual presence changed, emanating power and darkness into the room. At the same time she remained in complete control of her body and actions. "This is my gift and my curse, Emily," she said softly. "I didn't ask to be this way but I am. Just like you didn't ask for any of what happened to you, but it happened anyway."

Alex shifted her eyes back to blue and cautiously sat on the edge of the bed. "You love Dean?"

**Emily unconsciously clenched her fists around the sheets of her bed as she looked around the room. It was frightening to her but not as frightening as she thought it would be. Alex spoke and Emily simply nodded, she understood that Alex didn't ask to be what she is. Emily bit her lip and looked at Alex with a baffled expression. "L... lov... love," she whispered. What was love? She heard the word, and knew what it was supposed to be but she didn't understand what it was.**

Alex sighed. "Okay," she started slowly. "Love means that you care about a person no matter what they do, good or bad. It means that you cry every time they cry and you smile when they do. It means that when something bad happens to them or they're in danger, you'll do everything in your power to protect them. It means that you feel something special deep down inside your heart for them that nobody can ever take away from you."

**Emily closed her eyes and looked down. She didn't know what to say to that. Did she love Dean? Emily thought of love the way Sarah and Sam loved each other. Emily didn't feel that way for Dean. After a moment she raised her head and met Alex's eyes. She shook her head slowly. "Al...Ale... Alex," she whispered. "Al... Alex... Alex love... loves... loves Dean," she whispered. Emily took that to mean that she wasn't allowed to. She didn't understand the different degrees of love.**

Alex sighed without meaning to and closed her eyes. This was going to be more difficult than she had anticipated. She struggled to remain patient and understanding. "Yes, Emily, I love Dean. I would never, ever let anything bad happen to him if I can help it. But there are other kinds of love too. Like the love I have for Sarah and Sam. Sarah is my sister. I don't want to spend the rest of my life with her and have children, but I will die to protect her. I will hold her when she cries and laugh with her when she's happy. That's love too. You can love many different people at one time. The one special kind of love that Dean and I have is the kind of love where people grow old together and have children. It means that I want to be with him for the rest of his life. The love I have for Sam is different. I will always be there for him to protect him, help him, laugh with him, and cry with him or anything else that he needs." She stopped and cocked her head to the side. "It's okay for you to love Dean. You don't love him like I do, but you still love him."

**Emily sat there for a moment trying to process everything. Dean was the first person in her life to care for her. She swallowed hard and nodded slowly. "Family," she whispered looking up at Sarah. "Dean takes... takes care of... care of me," she said softly. "I... I tried," she whispered. There was a distant look in her eyes as they began to water at the memory. "I tried... tried to pro... protect him," she whispered. "I... I tried so hard." Emily lowered her head and began sobbing quietly. The fact that Alex was still there left her mind. She closed her eyes tightly and bit her lip. "He... he's hu... hurt beca... because of... because of me," she whispered.**

Alex decided to take a risk. She slowly eased herself into a laying position and wrapped her strong arms around the shaking girl. She said nothing because sometimes words weren't needed. She waited to see if Emily would jerk away from her touch, not wanting to frighten the girl any further. Emily desperately needed sleep and Alex would stay with her until she felt safe enough in her presence to relax into much needed rest. She tried to make her presence comforting and safe; to let Emily know that nobody was going to come through that door and hurt her or Dean while she was around.

**Emily watched the girl in wonder. What was she doing? Emily saw Alex lay next to her and she studied the woman for a moment. Why? Why would a demon care so much? It didn't make sense to her. Alex's love for Dean had to be the reason. Emily rested her head on her pillow and stared up at the ceiling, afraid to close her eyes. The closer she got to sleep the more she tried to stay awake. She didn't want to see those eyes anymore.**

Alex wrapped her arms tighter around Emily and rested her head on the pillow to stare at the ceiling. This girl really loved and looked up to Dean. She bent her head down so that her cheek was resting on the top of Emily's head. "Dean is in a special part of the hospital called the ICU. He had to have blood put back into his body but he should be awake sometime today. They'll move him to a room down here soon. I'll ask the nurse to put him in this room if you want me too, Emily. Don't worry about Dean right now. He's fine. The doctors will help him get better. Right now you need to rest so you can get better and be with Dean when he wakes up." She hesitated, knowing that she needed to start patrolling for potential demons in their midst, but not willing to leave Emily just yet.

"Whatever you're afraid of in your sleep can't hurt you, honey," she said softly and with all the confidence in her voice that she could muster. "Your father can't hurt you anymore. Nobody is going to come hurt you, in real life or in your dreams. I won't let them."

**Emily's face lit up when Alex said she could have Dean put in Emily's room. Her smile faded though with talk of her dreams, and then her father. Just that word made Emily's skin turn ghostly white. She lowered her head and bit her lip. "He... he shouldn't... he shouldn't have... he shouldn't have had to... had to ple... plead... plead like that," she whispered. "Dean... Dean said... said his father... Dean said he was strong, good. He shouldn't... he shouldn't have... have been... been hurt like that... not... not like me."**

"Shhh," Alex said. "We'll talk about it when you wake up. I'll stay here until you do, to make sure that nothing happens. I promise I'll be here when you wake up. But right now you really need to go to sleep. You can't help protect Dean if you're too tired to fight. Rest, Emily. I'll be here."

**Emily shook her head quickly, trembling terribly in the girl's arms. Emily found her eyelids becoming heavier as each second passed. She tried her best to stay awake; she didn't want to see those images anymore. Emily was weak though. She was fighting not only natural fatigue but drug-induced fatigue as well. It took a while but eventually the fragile glass child closed her eyes and sleep took her. Her dreams were dark and full of Dean's pleas to his father. Over and over again she heard it. "Dad, don't let it kill me." She couldn't make it go away. "Dad please." Eventually though all sound faded into darkness and she was truly asleep.**

Alex held the girl against her own stronger frame and stared at the ceiling while Emily fell into troubled sleep. She maintained her promise though and stayed with her, never letting go, until long after the sun had set through the window to the outside world. Alex couldn't stop the bad dreams from taking her but she kept a vigil against other threats more physical. Alex held her tight and watched her sleep.

**13**

**Tristan watched them through the window in the hall. He was hidden well in the shadows. He watched their conversation and left just after Alex lay down next to Emily. A small smile on his face as he traveled up to where Dean was laying unconscious and fighting his way back to the land of the living. He stood and looked over Dean for a long time. The boy would have a long road back. The pain caused by the demon that took his father was far worse than the blood loss he suffered. Tristan knew he would be all right. Alex was back, alive and in control of the demon inside her. She would be able to help Dean through this. Tristan spent most of that night checking on each of them, including Sarah who was asleep at Sam's bedside. Finally, early the next morning he stood in the doorway of Emily's room. He looked at the two of them before he walked up to the bed. He looked down at Alex and smiled. "Thank you," he said quietly. "How's she doing?" **

Alex was careful not to move her body and to keep her voice low so that Emily would continue to catch up on her much needed rest. "She's got a long way to go but at least this is a start."

**Tristan chuckled and nodded. "Sarah's with Sam," he said simply. "Dean... Dean's gonna be coming down here later this morning," he said with a smile. "Alex, I think it might be best to ease him into this. He just went through something traumatizing with his father and as much as he would want you there, remember he thinks you're dead." Tristan sighed and looked down at Emily. He stroked her hair gently and smiled at her. "Am I really that obvious," he asked with a laugh. Sarah had caught on so quickly but she was an empath. Alex caught on all by herself.**

"Transparent as a damn ghost," she confirmed. "But you'll be okay. Love is a powerful thing not even your higher ups can take away. And Emily needs all the love she can get right now. As for Dean, I want you tell the doctor to put him in this room. I promised Emily he would be here. And Dean can handle the truth about me. I'll wait until he's coherent, but I'm not going to wait that long."

**Tristan nodded and smiled at her. He looked down at Emily once more as she started to wake up. The girl opened her eyes and he smiled. "Hey," he whispered to her. Tristan looked over at Alex. "I already told them. I heard you before." He looked down at Emily and smiled at her. "Dean's gonna be in here in a few hours," he said with a smile. "I should go," he said simply. "I have someone I need to talk to." There was a look of determination and anger in his eyes. "Keep an eye on her?" Tristan smiled and leaned down, kissing Emily's forehead. Then he walked out of the room and headed for John Winchester's room.**

Alex smiled at Emily with reassurance. "I told you I'd stay with you. I always keep my promises. If you need help, just call Sarah's name. She'll come and I'll be with her. Right now I need to go make sure everyone else is okay."

**Emily watched Tristan walk in and stand next to her. She smiled at him. There was something there. That feeling Alex described but she wasn't sure. Emily had never felt it herself so she didn't know if she was just imagining things. She looked up at him with love in her eyes though. When he left she felt lonely but then heard Alex speak. She looked over at Alex and smiled. It was so rare for people to keep their promises to her. "Tr... Tri... Tristan," she whispered. She smiled to herself. There was the purest form of love in her eyes when she spoke of him.**

Alex smiled gently and offered a simple "I know." She reached over and gave the girl a hug, trying to fill her with the strength she possessed, before kissing the top of her head. "I won't be far. If you need me, call."

**Emily nodded and closed her eyes. She didn't want to be alone but she was happy with the idea that Dean would be in her room in a matter of hours. She was so excited to see him. Her excitement seemed to emanate off of her. Emily smiled and rolled over and closed her eyes, leaving Alex to go wherever she chose.**

**Tristan walked down the hall silently. He did his best to hold his anger down. He understood why John had gotten so angry and if Tristan were in John's position he would have reacted the same way. He has his family to think about and Tristan knew he was feeling guilty about what happened to Dean. Tristan stood outside of his room and took a moment to gather his thoughts. The he took a step forward and entered the room.**

**John was sitting in the bed waiting impatiently to hear news of his sons. "Sam's next door," Tristan told him quietly. "Dean will be down in a few hours. They're putting him in Emily's room." Tristan pulled a chair over and sat down. He looked at John, who had been glaring at him since he walked into the room. "Look, John, I understand you don't trust me," he said.**

"**Why should I," he snapped. "I have no idea who you are and as far as the girl's word, that means nothing to me. I don't know her. I know Dean trusts her but," he paused and looked down slowly. "He trusted me too." John sighed and looked over at Tristan. "How do I know that girl isn't possessed? How do I know who I'm really talking to?" John's voice was harsh. Tristan tried his best not to snap back at him.**

"**Don't question Emily's allegiances," Tristan snapped at him, standing from his seated position. "She would die a thousand times over to protect Dean from what he endured that night," he shouted. "Don't you ever question which side she's on. You have no idea how strong she is."**

"**That's not true," he shouted. "I saw what she was capable of."**

"**Then you know how strong she is. She just needs help and if you yell at her like that again then she will never learn to be strong. We need to work as a team to defeat this demon and you know it. You need Emily just as much as she needs you." Tristan took several deep breaths and he looked back at the door. He knew Alex had followed him and for that he was grateful. "If you ever treat her like you did your sons," he said in a very threatening tone.**

"**Is that supposed to make me trust you? Why the hell should I trust you? You pick up a girl on the side of the road and give her a ride to where my sons are. Then, then you show up at the hospital. She speaks of you like you're an angel but I look at you and all I see is that demon!"**

"**That's all you see when you look at anyone! That's all you've seen for twenty plus years John," he shouted. "You lost sight of your sons, of Dean a long time ago and don't think he hasn't noticed. I don't care how you treat your children, you've already done enough damage to them but I will not let you damage Emily." **

Alex listened carefully from the edge of the door, out of sight, and waited until the tension in the room was at an almost unbearable point. She stepped in and cleared her throat, causing heads to turn and one expression in particular to take on one of complete shock. John stared at her as though she was a ghost and she came further into the room to put a hand on the angered Tristan's arm.

"I'm not a ghost, John," she said firmly. "It's a long story that I'll tell you later, but I'm alive. And you need to listen to me."

"How?" he asked, dumbfounded.

Alex smiled. "I'm a freak of nature," she said simply, reiterating words she had told him before in what seemed like another lifetime. "You of all people should know that."

A smile crossed his face as he realized that she was indeed who she said she was. Only the real Alex could have remembered those words and repeated them. He shook his head in disbelief and a slight hint of relief. He felt better about the whole situation knowing that every capable warrior wasn't laid up in a hospital bed.

"Good to have you back," he offered.

Alex nodded. "Glad to be back." She turned her gaze from John to Tristan. "John, this man is on our side. So you need to stop treating him like the enemy and start being grateful he's your ally. From what I understand, you are going to need all the help you can get."

John stared hard at her but wasn't surprised at the way she simply cut to the chase and stood up to him. From the moment they had met she had been that way. Never taking orders from anyone but herself and only listening when she wanted to hear something. He had liked that quality about her; it reminded him of himself.

"John," she said with a sigh. "We really don't have time for this. I think you just need to quit arguing like a couple of grade-schoolers and learn to live with each other for right now. Or we'll all take the fall for your stupidity."

She glared at them both before walking out of the room.

**14**

**Emily closed her eyes after Alex and Tristan had left. Tears fell down her face and she rolled over with her back to the door. Emily didn't sleep she couldn't sleep. Alex was gone and she was alone, she didn't want to go back to sleep. So she sat there in silence with her eyes closed for hours. She could vaguely hear the sound of yelling down the hall. Tristan's voice she could hear clearly. It took her a moment to identify the other voice as that of John Winchester. Emily sighed and tuned it out. She replayed the events of that night in her mind. What could she have done to stop it? She should have listened to Dean she should have stayed put. Why couldn't she just listen?**

**She was torn from her thoughts at the sound of someone entering the room. She didn't move though. Emily stayed with her back to the door as a group of people entered the room. She heard something else, something that made her open her eyes. It was the sound of wheels moving. Emily opened her eyes and watched as they rolled Dean's bed against the wall, next to hers. Emily smiled and watched him for a long time after the doctors left. He was terribly pale and there were dark circles around his eyes. Dean was still asleep and remained that way for another couple hours.**

**Emily forced herself to sit up and found the wheelchair by her bed. She managed to get herself into the chair and pushed herself over to Dean's bedside. Emily sat there for the longest time just watching him sleep. Emily took his hand in hers and rested her head on the bed next to him. She closed her eyes and began to fall asleep when she felt his grip on her hand tighten slightly. Emily opened her eyes and raised her head to find Dean looking down at her. She smiled and he smiled back at her.**

**He ran his fingers through her hair just happy she was alive. Alive. Sam and Dad. His thoughts ran wild with the possibilities. He looked at her and smiled again. "D… dad, Sa… Sam," he asked.**

"**Sammy's fine," she whispered. She studied Dean's voice it sounded so weak. She wanted desperately to help him but she didn't know how. "You… your dad doesn… doesn't like me," she whispered lowering her head.**

**This caused Dean to laugh, which hurt more than he thought it would. He lifted her head so he could meet her eyes. "Its not that he doesn't like you Emily," he said quietly. "Its that he doesn't know you. And you didn't exactly meet him under the best of circumstances," he said with a small laugh. He shrugged it off and pretended that it didn't bother him. He pretended to know that it was the demon that was killing him but it hurt to feel so much pain at the hands of his father. More so than that the entire ride he was talking to Sam, talking about the bullet, the gun, the demon. Dean was dying in the backseat and it seemed to him like his father didn't even notice. He knew what the demon said was only to anger Dean but he couldn't help but wonder if there was any truth behind it.**

**Dean thought back to when he put Sam in the hospital. Sam was on his deathbed and their father showed up. When Dean was dying though, when it had been Dean he didn't even get a phone call from his father. Dean smiled at her and forced himself to sit up slowly. She smiled and held his hand. "You…. You love Alex," she asked softly.**

**Dean sat there unsure of what to say. How did she know about Alex? Alex had died weeks before he even met Emily. "Yeah," he said after a long time. "Loved."**

**Emily looked at him confused and sat up straight. "Loved? Why… why not now?**

**Dean sighed and lowered his head. The thought was unbearable. It had been his fault. He had killed her. That was what made his anger sore so much in Meg's exorcism, what made it so easy to kill her. Dean had caused Alex's death but ultimately it was Meg that killed her. After a long pause Dean raised his head and sighed. "Alex died, a long time ago. Did… did Sam tell you about her?"**

**Emily looked at Dean with the most baffled expression. That was impossible. Alex saved their lives at the crash site. Alex stayed with her all night, promised to protect her the way Dean promised. It didn't make any sense. She shook her head slowly. "Sh… She told… she told me," she whispered.**

**Dean sat up straight. The demon using Alex's body was the only thing he thought. Then he realized that wouldn't make sense. Alex already had a demon in her. "Th… that's not… that's not possible," he said softly.**

"Anything is possible," a voice said from the door.

Alex stepped into the room wearing clean clothes and wet hair that hung in a loose ponytail down her back. Tendrils of flame fell loose around her face. She was dressed in dark distressed denim with perfectly planted holes and tears in all the right places and a black velvet long sleeve button up top with a V-neck. Her boot heels snapped across the floor as she walked further into the room.

Dean stared as though a ghost had just emerged in his hospital room. His thoughts spun and words failed him. He struggled to find his tongue but found that it had stopped working. Alex was dead. He had spent months grieving her loss and finding a way to mend his broken heart. The love of his life had been killed because of him and he still hadn't found a way past the guilt. He had carried the worst burden of his life for months and now here she stood in his hospital room. His eyes watered slightly as a single tear trailed down his face. "It can't be," he whispered. "How is this possible?" Alex smiled. "I'm real, Dean. It's me. You can ask Emily how real I am."

**Emily looked back and forth between them, she didn't understand. Why would Dean think she was dead? Maybe it was the reason Dean never mentioned her. She looked over at Alex as she spoke then turned her gaze to Dean. She studied Dean's reaction and her head snapped back to Alex when Alex addressed her. Emily looked at Dean, unsure of what to say. She smiled faintly at Dean. "S... see," she whispered. "I told you so." There was this childish sense of triumph in Emily's voice, and in her smile. "Alex... Alex said... she said that... she said that nothing... nothing would... nothing would hurt me," she said with a small smile. There was a sense of excitement in her. Emily never had any friends. She thought maybe Alex was her friend.**

Dean smiled. "She said that, huh?" His gaze shifted to Alex and held there for several minutes. He was afraid that if he looked away she would disappear and he would wake up from this dream. "And did she let anything hurt you?"

**Emily shook her head slowly. She paused for a moment and looked over at Alex. "I heard yelling," she whispered. "Earlier. Tristan." Then she remembered that Dean didn't know about Tristan. "Tristan was yelling at him wasn't he," she asked. Emily sighed and lowered her head. "It's my fault." Emily closed her eyes, her cheerful moment was just that, a moment. "He doesn't like me," she said again referring to John.**

"It's not that he doesn't like you, Emily," Alex told her gently. "John just doesn't trust people. He's been hurt too, just like you have. It took you a long time to trust me didn't it? It will take John some time to get used to you being around." She moved past Emily and went to Dean, bending over his bedside and taking him into her arms. When she touched him his heart jumped and he realized that he wasn't dreaming. Alex was there, holding him, and somehow she really was alive. He buried his face in her neck and took in the scent of her, the feel of her, and his heart rejoiced. She was more beautiful than he remembered her being and her arms around him felt stronger than before. She was full of power, confidence and grace and Dean loved her for it. He loved her for the compassion that she showed Emily and the patience she had with her. Not caring that Emily was there to bear witness she kissed him gently but with passion. "Who's Tristan?" he asked after they broke apart. "You guys need to explain some things. I think I've missed a lot."

**Emily stared blankly at them as they kissed. She didn't laugh, she didn't really respond at all. She just stared. Emily didn't understand what that meant. No one had ever loved her like that therefore no one has ever kissed her like that. Emily looked up when Dean said Tristan's name. She wondered if Dean would react the way John had when she explained who Tristan is. "Tristan... Tristan found... found me aft... after Jim," she lowered her head slowly. The memory of what she witnessed came flooding back to her and tears fell down her face. "He... he took me to Sal... Salvation." She paused and waited for a reaction from Dean. She thought it would be similar to the reaction John had but she wasn't sure. Dean was different from his father but at the same time she could see similarities. Both had passion, though for very different things. Emily looked at him the way a child looks at a parent before being scolded.**

Dean sighed. "Why did he take you to Salvation?" Dean's voice was quiet and not at all judgmental but Alex could see the worry in his eyes. He was concerned that there was a spider in their midst, one that had been sent to trap and kill all the flies. He was worried that Emily had played right into his hands and unwittingly led them all into more danger. She bit her lip and stayed silent, wanting Emily to find the strength to stand up for her actions on her own. Emily needed to find strength and confidence in her choices if she was ever to grow out of her fragile shell.

**Emily jumped when he spoke. She knew there wasn't anger in his voice but still it scared her. "He... he's not bad," she whispered. Her voice was even more timid around Dean than it had been around John. She longed for Dean's approval much more than John's. "I.. I could te... tell," she whispered. Emily looked at Alex then at Dean. After a long time she took a deep breath and decided she would just explain it. "Ji.. Jim lef... left a message that... that you called and he... he said where... where you were so after," she paused. She couldn't even say it so she just skipped over it. "I... I left and... and I star... started... started walking," she whispered. "He found me." She didn't really know how to explain why she knew to trust him she just did. Emily's eyes watered as she looked at Dean. She was so afraid that he'd hate her, that he'd be angry with her. If that happened she didn't know what she'd do. Emily would do anything for Dean. He was a brother to her, the only family she ever had. If she lost that she didn't know how she'd survive.**

Dean looked up at Alex and she nodded. He returned his gaze to Emily and smiled at her. "You didn't do anything wrong, Emily," he said firmly. "You did what you had to and that's the best anyone can do. If you trust him then I'll give him a chance. I'm not angry with you. You did okay, kid."

**Emily looked up at him, her eyes lit up and she smiled. "He was.. he was there... there at the cr... crash," she said excitedly. She didn't realize that would actually be rather threatening. It was amazing to her like an angel. Well she didn't really think of him that way. God, Angels, and Demons were concepts way beyond her. She only knew what she vaguely heard Jim preach about on Sundays. She never went to church, though she lived there. She stayed in her room most of the time. "He... he took care of me," she whispered.**

"Alex," Dean said. "He was at the crash?"

"I remember seeing him there, yes," she said. "But I don't remember much. I wasn't really myself at that moment. Emily, what happened at the crash? What did I do? What did Tristan do?"

Alex found that even though she knew the truth of Tristan a part of her still believed he couldn't be trusted. His kind had played both sides before and just because he was making all the right moves didn't mean that he wasn't a double sided coin. She felt that she still needed to keep her family safe from him and she thought part of that might be the burning hatred still simmering in her darker half. She had seen a lot in her short life and it wouldn't be the first time that something wasn't what it appeared to be.

**Emily thought back at the night of the crash. It was terrifying, chaotic, painful. "I... I remember something hitting us and... and I fell... I fell on Dean," she paused and lowered her head. "Then.. then I woke up. I couldn't... I couldn't move my legs then... then I saw lights. You... you and Sarah. You.. you were different," she whispered. "Darker, scary. But... but you got... you got me out." She paused and remembered seeing Dean's face. "I... I don't... I don't know where... where he came from but... but Tristan.. he showed up next to me and... and he said everything was all right." Emily looked up at Dean and studied him for a moment. "Dean... he... he takes care of me," she whispered. She didn't go into detail about them at the hotel, she knew if she did Dean would never let her hear the end of it. It was obvious though by the way she spoke of him that she cared deeply for him. There was a bond there that Emily couldn't describe but she was sure that Alex could. Emily looked down, unsure of what else to say about it. She also didn't go into detail about Alex and the fighting. She didn't think Dean needed to hear that.**

"He has been making all the right moves," Alex mused. "He hasn't given any reason to doubt his claims."

"Emily, the demon that is after us is very smart. He'll do anything to get to us, including put people in our lives that we think we can trust. I'm not saying that you can't trust Tristan or that you're wrong about him. I'm just asking you to be careful when he's around. Make sure that he's on our side before you trust him completely, please," Dean said, being careful not to sound accusing or angry.

Alex nodded. "We have to be careful. We don't know who we can trust anymore. I'll keep an eye on him and make sure that he's not up to anything that will hurt us."

**"He's not bad," she shouted. She was getting tired of everyone questioning her. "Why can't you just trust that I'm right? I knew she was bad, I knew she was I felt it," she shouted referring to Meg. "So I ran away, I hid; I did what you told me. He's not bad," she said trying not to get angry but she couldn't help it. "I knew he was bad, even before I saw you," she snapped referring to John. "I knew it wasn't him and I've never met him before. I knew it! Why don't you trust me?"**

Alex had to stop herself from clapping. She knew that Emily had it in her to stand up and be strong. She only wished that Emily could be this strong and confident all the time. Dean looked up at her, startled, but said nothing. He didn't know Tristan and didn't want to make any accusations against him before he had the facts.

"Emily we aren't saying we don't trust you," Alex said firmly. "We're saying that we all need to be careful. You need to be careful so that something bad doesn't happen to you again. Right now we have to be a family and protect each other. None of really know Tristan so we have to make sure that he is who he says he is before we tell him all our plans. Do you understand that?"

**"No," she shouted at Alex. "I can feel it, I can tell. I know," she said strongly. "Why don't you believe me," she said looking at Dean. Her eyes looked hurt and were watery. "Please, Dean, he wants to help." Emily closed her eyes and looked down. She didn't mean to snap at Dean like that. She had never snapped at anyone like that. "He's not a bad person, he's not with him. I know, I know he's not," she pleaded. "Please, Dean," she begged.**

Dean struggled for the right words. He wanted to believe Emily with all his heart but he was cautious by nature, he had survived that way for a long time. There were many different ways a person could hide in their midst and one of the most ingenious was to stand right there and hug you. The survivor part of him begged caution and to keep a careful eye on the newcomer. The compassionate part of him wanted to tell Emily that it was okay and he believed her. Except he didn't, at least not all the way. He believed that she believed she was right. He believed she thought she knew what he was all about. But he didn't believe that he knew anything of the kind. He looked up at Alex and found her standing with her arms across her chest, her mouth pressed in a thin line. He could tell from the look in her eyes that she didn't know what to tell her either.

Dean didn't know how to explain their need for caution and security to Emily. He didn't think she could understand it without a telling of all of their life stories. How something had slipped in and gained trust through good deeds only to stab them in the back later. He didn't know how to tell her that he had learned to be careful through experience. Experience that she didn't have. She was still innocent and very much green around the gills when it came to the game they all played. She was a player, but not an experienced one. He finally looked at her and steadily met her gaze.

"Okay, Emily," he said finally. "I believe you."

He was careful not to look at Alex and give away his true feelings. She would know what he was thinking because she was already on the same line of thought. Tristan couldn't be trusted completely, at least not yet. Not until they knew more about him.

**Emily lowered her head. He was lying and she knew it. That alone was painful to her. Emily rolled herself back to her bed and pulled herself up on the bed. She had never had much upper body strength and now even less. Tristan had helped her into the bed before but now he wasn't there. She was immensely unsuccessful in pulling herself up on to the bed and fell backwards. She landed on the one leg that wasn't in a cast and let out a piercing scream. She hadn't felt pain like this since she was a little girl. Tears cascaded down her face and she tried her best to bite them back.**

Alex was there in an instant when she saw Emily fall. It pained her immensely to think of how much she must be hurting, not physically, but emotionally. There was just no way she could understand why they mistrusted Tristan. Her own mistrust of him came from a different place, a deeper and more primal past that screamed at her constantly in the back of her mind. It screamed for blood and death with a voice often a thousand times stronger than her own. She struggled with it every time he was near her just to keep from engaging in mortal combat.

"Let me help you," she said and her voice wasn't gentle. It was firm and steady. Her gaze found Emily's and she held it. "I'm proud of you," she offered on a whim.

**"No," she shouted pushing the girl away. She didn't want any help and certainly not from either of them. She thought after what she did for Dean he'd be grateful, he'd trust her. She didn't realize that Dean might not have seen what she did in that cabin, against the demon that stole his father's body. She pushed the girl away but it was weak and she eventually let Alex help her. Once she was on the bed she turned so her back was to them. She closed her eyes tightly, her leg throbbed and it sent a pain throughout her body.**

Alex walked away from Emily, leaving her alone to deal with her anger and pain. She had found through experience that the best way to make a person stronger was to make them handle the hard stuff on their own. She kissed Dean once more, for reassurance that she wasn't leaving him again, and left to begin to find a way to fight back against a foe they knew almost nothing about. The sun was setting again. Night was digging in its claws on the unsuspecting population and in the shadows she birthed were things that the average person would say didn't exist. It was dangerous. It was deadly. It was her playground.


End file.
